from ADANE BIKILA in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Ethiopia Bureau
ADDIS ABABA, (CAJ News) – AFRICA once again reminded the athletics world of its extraordinary depth over the weekend, with athletes from Kenya, Ethiopia and Morocco producing outstanding performances at the 2026 Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels, Belgium.
The two-day meeting at the King Baudouin Stadium brought together many of the world’s leading athletes, but African competitors ensured the continent remained firmly at the centre of the action.
Ethiopia enjoyed one of the weekend’s biggest triumphs. Getahun Godana captured the men’s 3,000m steeplechase in 8:08.67, holding off Morocco’s Olympic and world champion Soufiane El Bakkali, who finished second in 8:10.03. Kenya’s Shadrack Koech completed an all-African podium by taking third in 8:11.15.
That result was particularly significant because it demonstrated Africa’s extraordinary strength in the steeplechase, a discipline historically dominated by Kenyan and Ethiopian runners.
Morocco’s El Bakkali, despite missing victory, again showed why he remains one of the sport’s most respected distance athletes.
Kenya also produced a superb performance in the women’s 1,500m. Dorcus Ewoi finished second in 3:54.72, narrowly behind Poland’s Klaudia Kazimierska, while Australia’s Jessica Hull was third.
Kenya’s Phanuel Kipkosgei Koech came agonisingly close to another major victory in the men’s 1,500m, finishing second in 3:30.23 behind Australia’s Cameron Myers.
Koech’s performance against a world-class field demonstrated that Kenyan middle-distance running continues to produce athletes capable of challenging the very best.
Cameron Myers secured a remarkable victory in the men’s 1500m at the Diamond League final in Brussels, becoming only the eighth Australian to achieve a Diamond League final crown.
The 20-year-old triumphed in a time of 3:30.14, narrowly beating Kenya’s Phanuel Kipkosgei Koech. He strategically waited for a late opening and surged in the final stretch, overtaking Olympic champions like Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who faded near the finish.
Myers’ win continues a stellar season that saw him break the national record in Paris earlier in the year.
Other Australian athletes also performed strongly: pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall finished third with a 5.82m clearance; sprinter Lachlan Kennedy ran a 9.99s in the 100m to place fourth; and discus thrower Matthew Denny ended one spot off the podium with a 68.04m throw.
In the women’s 5000m, Rose Davies narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth in 14:37.47, with Georgia Griffith and Linden Hall also placing in the top ten.
These performances mark a standout showing for Australia in the prestigious international athletics competition.
Ethiopia’s Aschalew Tsehaye also secured a podium finish in the women’s 800m, taking third in 1:57.57 behind Switzerland’s Audrey Werro and the Netherlands’ Femke Bol.
Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, meanwhile, finished fourth in the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.54 seconds.
Although she missed the podium, her presence among the world’s elite remains another reminder of Africa’s sprinting and hurdling strength.
The weekend’s performances came from athletes representing **Kenya, Ethiopia, Morocco and Nigeria**, with each nation contributing to Africa’s global athletics reputation.
From the endurance of East Africa to Morocco’s steeplechase excellence and Nigeria’s hurdling pedigree, Brussels offered another powerful message: African athletics is not merely producing champions—it is producing depth capable of challenging for honours on every major stage.
– CAJ News