Yavi, Cherotich and Chemutai easily qualify for Tokyo 25 women’s steeplechase final
In different versions, the main protagonists in the women’s 3000m steeplechase races; Yavi, Cherotich and Peruth advanced to the finals on Day 3 of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
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Faith wins heat 1 of the 3000m steeplechase
Kenya’s Faith Cherotich was in the first heat. Despite staying in the lead throughout, she made it a relatively modest race for everyone until the last 1000m, when the pace started to pick up a little, and runners behind her began to struggle to hold on to the top five automatic qualification for the finals. The first 1000m was crossed in 3:04.90, then it was even a little slower for the second split as they crossed the 2000m mark in 6:13.78.
Cherotich appeared effortless as she crossed the finish line in 9:13.95. Norah Jeruto of Kazakhstan followed in 9:14.25 after overtaking Elise Thorner of Great Britain, who would finish third in 9:14.69.
Yavi wins the second heat
In the second heat, the reigning Olympic Champion, Winfred Yavi of Bahrain, appeared unbothered as she ran behind everybody in the first few laps of her race before slowly moving up through the rest of the runners until she was finally at the front in the last 1000m of the the race.
Yavi led comfortably in the last 900m and made no effort to sprint towards the end, at least not until Marwa Bouzayani almost overtook her at the finish line did she react a little to maintain her lead into the finish, crossing it in 9:15.63 against Bouzayani’s 9:15.68. Ethiopian youngster, Sembo Almayew finished third in 9:15.84.
Peruth takes the third heat
Uganda’s former Olympic Champion, Peruth Chemutai, made the third heat hotter as she led in a relatively faster pace through the first 1000m in 2:59.58, then through the 2000m in 6:03.68. She left the field following her in a single file, with Kenya’s Doris Lemngole and Ethiopia’s Lomi Muleta being the only ones remaining at a striking distance behind her.
Chemutai won her heat in 9:07.68, over one second ahead of Lemngole, who finished in 9:08.97. Ethiopian Muleta finished a distant third in 9:12.20.
Daisy Jepkemei of Kazakhstan lost one shoe in the race and finished in 9th position.
