Cheruiyot sheds trials blip to win in Stockholm

World 1500m champion Timothy Cheruiyot returned to winning ways as he stormed to victory at the Stockholm Diamond League on Sunday.

In his first race since finishing in a disappointing fourth at the Kenyan Olympic trials a fortnight ago, Cheruiyot clocked 3:32.30 to beat Ignacio Fontes of Spain to second spot in 3:33.27.

World junior record holder Ronald Kwemoi was third in 3:33.53.

With a little under three weeks until the start of the Olympics, no official communication has been made on whether Cheruiyot will be included in Kenya’s 1500m team which currently has Charles Simotwo, Kamar Etyang and Abel Kipsang.

In the women’s 3000m steeplechase, the 2015 world champion Hyvin Kiyeng picked from where she left at the Kenyan trials as she once again edged world champion Beatrice Chepkoech.

Kiyeng chalked a comfortable win in a meeting record of 9:04.34 as Chepkoech came home third in 9:10.52 as Olympic-bound Purity Chepkirui finished fourth in 9:16.91

In the men’s 800m, world bronze medallist Ferguson Rotich warmed up for Tokyo Games after clinching victory in a season best of 1:43.84 beating Marcos Arop of Canada who placed second in 1:44.00