Jeruto wins the 3,000 hurdles for Kazakhstan
The athlete of Kenyan origin takes the gold in Eugene, with the third best time in history, along two Ethiopians on the podium.
Nearly nine minutes of piecework. That was the plan of the Kazakh of Kenyan origin, Noah Jeruto, from the start to the finish line. The 26-year-old earned gold for Kazakhstan in the 3,000 meter steeplechase final of the Oregon World Championships with a time of 8:53.02, the best in the history of the championships and the third quickest in the world, snatching it from herself when she represented Ethiopia. Three women under nine minutes and four national records: Kazakhstan, Ethiopia, Albania and Great Britain. Impressive.
Jeruto defeated the Ethiopian Werkuha Getachew with silver (8:54.61), and Mekides Abebe, who made a sensational comeback from back positions to hanging the bronze with 8:56.08 (personal best). The Bahraini Winfred Mutile Yavi, world leader of the year with 8:56.55, was left without a podium, fourth with 9:01.31. The first thousand was passed in 2:57, the second in 3:01 and the final one in 2:54. “I enjoyed my race today. At the starting line I was scared of my friends from Ethiopia and that’s why I decided to go to the front so I could control the race”, Jeuto assured.
Finally, it should be noted that the Olympic champion, the Ugandan Peruth Chemutai, came in eleventh place.