Botswana’s Collen Kebinatshipi strengthened his grip on the men’s 400 metres with a meeting-record 43.59 at the Silesia Diamond League on Sunday, securing his fifth Diamond League victory of the season.
The world champion held off American 400m hurdles star Rai Benjamin, who produced a personal best of 43.83 to finish second. Kebinatshipi’s latest victory extends a season in which he has repeatedly established himself among the leading one-lap runners on the global circuit.
World Athletics’ official Silesia report said the 43.59 performance set a meeting record and delivered Kebinatshipi his fifth Diamond League win of 2026.
African performances stretch beyond the 400m
Silesia produced several other notable African performances. Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma ran a world-leading personal best of 3:55.06 to win the women’s 1500m, while compatriot Gemechu Godana clocked a personal best and meeting record of 8:02.74 to defeat Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali in the men’s 3000m steeplechase.
Senegal’s Saly Sarr delivered another standout result in the triple jump. The world indoor bronze medallist jumped 15.08m, breaking a 22-year-old Senegalese national record and surpassing 15 metres for the first time. It was also her first Diamond League victory.
Kenya’s Phanuel Koech finished second in the men’s 1500m in 3:31.14, while Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu took second in the women’s 5000m.
African momentum on the Diamond League circuit
The results extend a strong run for African athletes on the Diamond League circuit. Kebinatshipi’s consistency in particular has made the 400m one of the events in which African athletes are setting the pace heading into the closing stages of the international season.
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