ATHLETICS – BAHRAIN’S Winfred Yavi etched her name into the Olympic record books last night, winning the women’s 3,000 metres steeplechase gold medal at Paris 2024 and setting a new Olympic record in the process.
The reigning world champion put in a sensational performance in a thrilling steeplechase final, held in front of a capacity crowd at the Stade de France.
The 24-year-old outsprinted Tokyo 2021 gold-medallist Peruth Chemutai of Uganda down the home straight en route to securing the kingdom’s first medal at this year’s Games.
Yavi triumphed in a blistering time of eight minutes 52.76 seconds – a new Olympic mark that shattered the previous best of 8:58.81, set by Russian Gulnara Samitova-Galkina in Beijing 2008.
“This is like a dream come true,” Yavi was quoted as saying after the race. “It’s something special. It means a lot to me and also to the country.”
Yavi became Bahrain’s third gold-medallist in the history of the Olympic Games. She has followed in the footsteps of women’s 1,500m gold-medallist Maryam Yusuf Jamal from London 2012 and fellow-steeplechaser Ruth Jebet from Rio 2016.
It was also the kingdom’s fifth-ever Olympic medal. A silver was claimed by Kalkidan Gezahegne in the women’s 10,000m in Tokyo, and a bronze by Eunice Kirwa in the women’s marathon in Rio.
Yavi started last night’s highly anticipated final pacing herself behind a lead group that included Chemutai, Kenyans Faith Cherotich and Beatrice Chepkoech, and Ethiopian Sembo Almayew. After maintaining her position for much of the run, Yavi moved up to third behind Chemutai and Chepkoech heading into the final two laps, and continued to battle for the front towards the bell.
Yavi then unleashed a devastating kick as she overtook Chepkoech, who is the steeplechase world record-holder, and began to hunt Chemutai down along the back straight and past the last water jump.
It was then a one-on-one battle from there, and Yavi closed the race out with an explosive and decisive sprint. She snatched the lead from her rival after the final barrier and, with enough of a gap at the finish, raised her arms in victory as she made Olympic history for Bahrain.
Chemutai claimed the silver medal with a new national record of 8:53.34, while Cherotich, who ran an excellent final lap to join the top two on the podium, bagged bronze in a new personal best of 8:55.15.
European champion Alice Finot of France finished fourth in a new European record of 8:58.67, while Almayew took fifth place in a season’s best of 9:00.83. She and Chepkoech both faded heading into the last lap, with Chepkoech settling for sixth in 9:04.24.
Yavi claimed her first Olympic accolade with last night’s victory, adding to her many honours on the international athletics stage.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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