World Champs Womenâ€s Steeple — Cherotichâ€s Yavi Act Turns The Table

Her hurdling form may not be found in a coaching manual, but Faith Cherotichâ€s rip-roaring finish devastated Winfred Yaviâ€s hopes. (KEVIN MORRIS)

IT LOOKED LIKE vintage Winfred Yavi — coming off the final waterjump and crushing the opposition with a devastating kick.

Except this time it wasnâ€t Yavi — she was the one being crushed. Instead, Kenyaâ€s Faith Cherotich stole a page out of Yaviâ€s playbook and pounced with 200 left, sprinting away to an almost 5-second win over Bahrainâ€s Olympic champion and setting a meet record. The 21-year-old Kenyanâ€s 8:51.59 erased the 8:53.02 of Kazakhstanâ€s Norah Jeruto from Eugene22. Yavi clocked 8:56.46 for silver and Ethiopiaâ€s Sembo Almayew claimed bronze in a PR 8:58.86.

Ugandaâ€s Peruth Chemutai set a hard, honest pace at the beginning. She was Olympic champion on this track in â€21, but was Yaviâ€s victim last year in Paris. She clearly meant to blunt Yaviâ€s kick. She definitely separated the contenders from the pretenders — by the end of the first lap, a remarkable 7 runners had already lost contact, including Americans Angelina Napoleon, Lexy Halladay and Kaylee Mitchell. She went through the first kilo in 2:55.20, only a shade slower than WR pace.

Unfortunately for Chemutai, she wouldnâ€t make it through the second K. A little after 1800m she clipped a barrier and lost her momentum. She struggled to recover as Yavi, Jeruto and Cherotich passed her. She cleared the next obstacle but lost her balance on the one after that and went down hard — and stayed down. It was hauntingly reminiscent of last year in Paris, when Ethiopian Lamecha Girma suffered a horrific fall in the menâ€s race over the same barrier position.

Medical staff rushed out to her and after a lengthy period, loaded her onto a stretcher and took her to a hospital. The medical staff braced her neck, but reviews of video didnâ€t indicate any head impact. Three days later came hopeful news from the Ugandan federation, which sent out a tweet that reported, “Great news: Peruth Chemutai is steadily recovering after that tough fall at the hurdles. Her spirit is strong, and sheâ€s focused on healing. Wishing her a smooth and speedy comeback!†Accompanying the post was a photo of a smiling Chemutai standing on the street braced by a cane.

Back on the track, Jeruto took the field through 2K in 5:56.91, and then Yavi took over, shadowed by Jeruto and Cherotich. It stayed that way until Cherotich unleashed her killer kick. She covered the last half-lap in 32.76 and 100 in 15.88. Yavi wasnâ€t even comparable, 37.97 and 19.63.

“Iâ€m sorry for those who fell down,†Cherotich said. “When we were running, I heard someone fall, but I didnâ€t know who it was, but I realized [later] it was Peruth.

“I knew the race was not to be easy because there was a World champion there. Also an Olympic champion. So no matter the people we are racing together, I have to fight for me.â€

WOMENâ€S STEEPLE RESULTS

FINAL (September 17)

1. Faith Cherotich (Ken) 8:51.59 (x, 7 W)

(15.88, 32.76, 50.09, 66.98);

2. Winfred Yavi (Bhr) 8:56.46

(19.63, 37.97, 55.60, 72.45);

3. Sembo Almayew (Eth) 8:58.86 PR

(17.32, 35.22, 53.50, 70.78);

4. Marwa Bouzayani (Tun) 9:01.46 NR

(16.44, 34.82, 53.39, 71.66);

5. Doris Lemngole (Ken) 9:02.39

(19.74, 39.16, 57.18, 74.74);

6. Norah Jeruto (Kaz) 9:06.34

(5:56.91);

7. Gesa-Felicitas Krause (Ger) 9:14.27;

8. Lomi Muleta (Eth) 9:14.90;

9. Angelina Napoleon (US) 9:17.44;

10. Kaylee Mitchell (US) 9:18.66;

11. Elise Thorner (GB) 9:19.02;

12. Lea Meyer (Ger) 9:24.42;

13. Flavie Renouard (Fra) 9:25.15;

14. Lexy Halladay-Lowry (US) 9:34.03;

… dnf—Peruth Chemutai (Uga) (2:55.20).

HEATS (September 15)

I–1. Cherotich 9:13.95; 2. Jeruto 9:14.25; 3. Thorner 9:14.37 PR; 4. Renouard 9:14.69 PR; 5. Halladay-Lowry 9:15.06; 6. Olivia Gürth (Ger) 9:15.28; 7. Celestine Biwot (Ken) 9:22.55; 8. Loice Chekwemoi (Uga) 9:25.34; 9. Veerle Bakker (Neth) 9:41.72; 10. Kinga Królik (Pol) 9:43.89; 11. Ankita Dhiyani (Ind) 10:03.22;… dnf—Alemnet Wale (Eth).

II–1. Yavi 9:15.63; 2. Bouzayani 9:15.68; 3. Almayew 9:15.84; 4. Krause 9:16.76; 5. Napoleon 9:18.03; 6. Adva Cohen (Isr) 9:19.90 NR; 7. Marta Serrano (Spa) 9:21.00 PR; 8. Ilona Mononen (Fin) 9:21.02 NR; 9. Parul Chaudhary (Ind) 9:22.24; 10. Pamela Kosgei (Ken) 9:28.21; 11. Amy Cashin (Aus) 9:50.53; 12. Tatiane Raquel da Silva (Bra) 9:59.81;… dnf—Sarah Tait (GB).

III–1. Chemutai 9:07.68; 2. Lemngole 9:08.97; 3. Muleta 9:12.20; 4. Meyer 9:13.18; 5. Mitchell 9:15.52; 6. Miu Saitou (Jpn) 9:24.72 NR; 7. Alicja Konieczek (Pol) 9:28.80; 8. Grace Fetherstonhaugh (Can) 9:32.09; 9. Daisy Jepkemei (Kaz) 9:41.36; 10. Cara Feain-Ryan (Aus) 9:42.62; 11. Rihab Dhahri (Tun) 9:51.58; 12. Stella Rutto (Rom) 9:55.76.

Since 1986, Lee Nichols has been the Rockdale (Texas) High School record holder in the mile and 2-miles. He followed those feats with a brief and highly undistinguished tenure with the Texas Longhorns. He has been writing for Track & Field News since 2004. When he’s not writing about track, he’s either writing about or drinking craft beer and watching Tottenham Hotspur play soccer.

Post navigation

Source link