ATHLETICS – Bahrain's world and Olympic champion Winfred Yavi will be looking to make history today when she takes to the track at Japan’s nearly 70,000-capacity National Stadium for the women’s 3,000 metres steeplechase final at the World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo.
Yavi will be looking to become only the third double world champion from the kingdom with a victory in her medal race, which is scheduled for a 3.57pm start, Bahrain time.
She is looking to emulate Bahraini athletics legends Rashid Ramzi and Maryam Yusuf Jamal, who are the other pair of multiple world-title holders.
The 25-year-old superstar will be looking to extend her two-year reign in the event, having triumphed in the steeplechase at the 2023 worlds and at last year’s Paris Olympic Games.
She is one of 15 participants in today’s final.
Expected to be amongst her chief rivals are Faith Cherotich of Kenya and Peruth Chemutai of Uganda.
Cherotich was the bronze-medallist behind Yavi in 2023 and last year, while Chemutai was the Olympic champion from Tokyo in 2021 and the silver-medallist from Paris.
Others in the field are Sembo Almayew from Ethiopia, Marwa Bouzayani from Tunisia, Gesa Feliciates Krause from Germany, Angelina Napoleon from the US, Flavie Renouard from France, Lomi Muleta from Ethiopia, Norah Jeruto from Kazakhstan, Lea Meyer from Germany, Kaylee Mitchell and Lexy Halladay from the US, Doris Lemngole from Kenya, and Elise Thorner from the UK.
Yavi heads into the final with a season’s best time of eight minutes 45.25 seconds, which is the world lead, and a personal best of 8:44.39, which is the second-fastest mark in history and is an Asian and Bahraini record.
Meanwhile, also flying the Bahrain flag today is former indoor world champion Kemi Adekoya. She will be competing in the women’s 400m hurdles semi-finals.
The 32-year-old will be running in the first of three heats, scheduled for a 3.03pm start, Bahrain time.
Adekoya must finish amongst the first two in her race to earn an automatic berth in the medal round, or must be one of the two fastest losers from this stage.
Other athletes in her run are Paulien Couckuyt from Belgium, Rebecca Sartori from Italy, Emma Zapletalova from Slovakia, Gianna Woodruff from Panama, Andrenete Knight from Jamaica, Jasmine Jones from the US, and Jiadie Mo from China.
Adekoya heads into her heat with a season’s best of 54.63s and a personal best of 53.09s.
Amongst the other top contenders for the final from heat two are defending world champion Femke Bol from the Netherlands and Dalilah Muhammad from the US, and American Anna Cockrell and Jamaican Shiann Salman in heat three.
The women’s 400m hurdles final is set to take place on Friday.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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