Kenya’s Faith Cherotich overhauled reigning champion Winfred Yavi on the last lap to win women’s 3,000m steeplechase gold at the world championships on Wednesday.
The talented 21-year-old nailed a hurdle that Bahrain’s Yavi stumbled over on the final run down the back straight and soared over the last water jump to finish in eight minutes 51.59 seconds, the fastest ever time at a world championship.
Kenyan-born Olympic champion Yavi took silver in 8:56.46, while bronze went to Ethiopia’s Sembo Almayew in a personal best time of 8:58.86.
Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai, who won Olympic gold at the National Stadium in 2021 and silver in Paris, failed to finish after a fall at a hurdle towards the end of the race.
The win delivered Kenya’s fourth gold medal of the championships and cemented Cherotich’s rising star status on the global stage.
Her time was not only the fastest ever run at the World Championships but also underscored her growing dominance in an event long associated with Kenyan excellence.
With her Tokyo triumph, Cherotich is now officially a world champion, a title that marks a turning point in her career and adds to Kenya’s proud middle- and long-distance legacy.
