It is getting better for Ugandan long-distance runner Joshua Cheptegei in this season's Wanda Diamond League series.

After finishing fourth in the 5,000m in Florence at the start of June, the reigning Olympic champion and world record holder over that distance bettered his performance in the Swiss city of Lausanne with a second-place finish Friday night.

The 26-year-old has so far accumulated 12 points from two races in the series.

Overall, he is among the leaders on the men's 5,000m points standings in athletics' premier one-day series.

Only the top eight finishers at each series meeting collect points, starting from eight points for the winner down, in descending order, to one point for the eighth finisher.

Eventually, the top ten (as per points accumulated) in the long-distance events will qualify for the final to battle it out for the ultimate honours of Diamond League Champion of the season for the respective events.

With the champion set to be awarded the Diamond Trophy plus $30,000 prize money, Cheptegei remains in firm contention following Friday's performance at the Lausanne Diamond League.  

Competing on the Stade Olympique la Pontaise track, the Ugandan runner produced an entertaining A-game all the way around the bend and then down the home straight.

With the rest of the field having dropped off at this stage, it remained a two-way contest between Cheptegei and Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi.

Cheptegei appeared to find the extra gear needed to outpace his equally determined challenger, but it was the younger athlete that took the day with a deserved world-leading victory in 12:40.45. That time was also a new meeting record.

The Ugandan settled for second, clocking 12:41.61.

Lausanne provided much-needed relief for Cheptegei's supporters, who saw their man put on a much-improved performance from the June 2 display in Rome.

His coach, Addy Ruiter, was happy and said Cheptegei ticked all the boxes in the race.  

Cheptegei will, however, have to wait a little longer for his first victory of 2023.

Before Florence, he finished second at the New York Half Marathon in March and third at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst (Australia) in February.

Cheptegei will captain Team Uganda at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest (Hungary) this August, and the result in Lausanne will have provided the sort of boost his confidence needed and, by extension, that of his teammates as well.