Botswana’s reigning 400m world champion Collen Kebinatshipi has continued to dominate in the men’s 400m event at the 2026 Wanda Diamond League meetings, securing several dominant victories and meeting records.
The 22-year-old from Jwaneng Athletics Club has so far won five races at the Diamond League, which commenced on May 16, 2026, in Shanghai, China, and is expected to complete with the two-day final in Brussels, Belgium, on September 4–5, 2026.
Kebinatshipi registered his first win at Xiamen on May 23, 2026, in a world-leading and meeting record of 43.92 seconds. He registered his second win at Paris on June 28, 2026, setting a Diamond League record and meeting record with a time of 43.54 seconds. Kebinatshipi also emerged the champion in the men’s 400-meter race at the Prefontaine Classic on July 4, 2026, at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
He won the men’s 400m at the Herculis Diamond League in Monaco on July 10, 2026, with a blistering time of 43.44 seconds. Kebinatshipi then emerged the champion in the 400m with a meeting record and time of 43.59 seconds, defeating Rai Benjamin at Silesia on August 23, 2026.
During his post-race interview at Silesia on Sunday, Kebinatshipi said that through the race he wanted to maintain his fitness after a six-week break from the competition.
“I did not do anything special because I had really run a good time at Monaco which is 43.44 seconds, so it was just to maintain the fitness and be smart not to push the body too much. I was not really confident coming here, I was a bit scared because I have not been racing, so I did not know how the race was going to come out, but I am happy with the performance,” he said.
Kebinatshipi stated that he did not put a lot of energy mentally and physically into the race, therefore winning it boosted his confidence.
“I was not there, because it was more of not trusting myself in this race because of not racing for a long time, so I was not fully into it, but I am good now because I can run 43.59 seconds with this kind of mood and status,” he said.
The Diamond League is an annual series of elite track and field athletic competitions comprising fifteen invitational athletics meetings. The series sits in the top tier of the World Athletics one-day meet competitions. The inaugural season was in 2010.
