FAITH CHEROTICH WINS WOMEN’S 3000M STEEPLECHASE

Kenya’s Faith Cherotich has won the women’s 3000 meters steeplechase at the Paris Diamond League on Friday night. The 20- year old stormed to victory at 8:53:37, ahead of Uganda’s Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai, who clocked 8:54.41 and Ethiopia’s Sembo Almayew who was third with a time of 9:01.22. Cherotich and Chemutai set a fierce pace early on, breaking the race open within the first five minutes. Almayew and France’s Alice Finot tried to keep up, but the two East Africans pulled away. At the bell, Cherotich and Chemutai were shoulder to shoulder. Chemutai who won gold at the Tokyo Olympics made a move before the final water jump, but Cherotich responded with a clean landing and unleashed a powerful kick down the home stretch to secure her victory.

Cherotich’s time moves her to sixth on the all-time list, making her the fastest in the world this year. Cherotich has now won three straight Diamond League races after victory over Winfred Yavi in Doha and Oslo. She is now eyeing the gold medal at the World Athletics Championship in Tokyo.

 In the women’s 1500 meters, Nelly Chepchirchir secured her third Diamond League win of the year, clocking 3:57.02 for a season’s best. The 22-year-old controlled the race from behind the pacer, taking the lead with 300 meters to go. She was briefly threatened by Ireland’s Sarah Healy in the closing stretch, but held on. Healy ran a personal best of 3:57.15 to finish second, with Ethiopia’s Birke Haylom third in 3:57.50.