‘This Is My Season’: Kebinatshipi Sets Diamond League Record with 43.54 in Paris

‘It was a good race, the atmosphere in the stadium is amazing,’ said Botswana’s Busang Collen Kebinatshipi moments after storming to a 43.54 second victory in the men’s 400m, a performance that shattered the Diamond League record and meeting record, while also marking his season’s best.

Kebinatshipi admitted he had studied the meeting record the day before, setting it as his target.

‘Yesterday I looked up the meeting record, which was my goal, and now I even went faster,’ he explained.

‘I always say that this is my season, so I enjoy every race. Today it went cloudy a bit, so the heat didn’t challenge me that much. I executed the race exactly as I discussed with my coach yesterday.’

The 23-year-old’s 43.54 places him firmly among the fastest quarter-milers in history.