Koech left in awe after upsetting stars at London Diamond League
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Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 20.07.25. | 13:18
Saturday’s win adds to an already glittering month for the youngster, who set a world U20 record of 3:27.72 at the Paris Diamond League on June 20, finishing second
Kenya’s teenage sensation Phanuel Koech pulled off a shock victory in the men’s 1500m at the London Diamond League on Saturday, clocking a meet record of 3:28.82.
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Competing in the main category of the Diamond League for the first time, the 18-year-old admitted the win came as a surprise even to him.
“I thank God for this day. I was not expecting to run like that today,” said Koech. “The field was very strong, and I enjoyed racing against them all.”
The youngster held his own against a stacked lineup that included world champion Josh Kerr, who finished second in a season’s best 3:29.37, and Portugal’s Isaac Nader, who clocked a personal best of 3:31.55 to take third.
Koech, whose meteoric rise has taken the athletics world by storm in recent weeks, said he had to remain mentally locked in to outlast some of the sport’s biggest names.
“I was thinking about all the big guys running fast, so I had to stay focused. Tactics did not go to plan, I just had to go with 200 m to go,” he revealed.
The field also featured 2020 Olympic 10,000m champion Selemon Barega (Ethiopia), 2022 world champion Jake Wightman (Great Britain), and 2022 Commonwealth Games winner Oliver Hoare (Australia).
Saturday’s win adds to an already glittering month for the youngster, who set a world U20 record of 3:27.72 at the Paris Diamond League on June 20, finishing second.
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He also claimed victories at the Lucca International Meeting in Italy (June 8) and the Ostrava Golden Spike in the Czech Republic (June 24).
His breathtaking finish left reigning world champion Kerr stunned on home soil.
“I really wanted to show up and win for this crowd,” Kerr told The Mirror.
What a performance by Phanuel Koech as be stuns @Diamond_League London leg🔥
— TeamKenya (@OlympicsKe) July 19, 2025
The 18-year-old Kenyan clocks 3:28.82 in the men’s 1500m—a new meet record, U20 No.2 all-time, and just 0.01 shy of Ronald Kwemoi’s world U20 best.
He beats reigning world champion Josh Kerr on home… pic.twitter.com/tjHYjRJRFr
“But all I can guarantee and promise them now is I’ll come back in a few months’ time and I’ll be battling for a gold medal for this country. I’ll bring it home, and then everyone can see what we were working towards today.”
Kerr, who jokingly admitted he only noticed Koech with 100m to go, remained defiant despite the upset, insisting the world 1500m title will stay in British hands come September in Tokyo.
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