Bahrain's Winfred Yavi clinched the women's Olympic 3,000 metres steeplechase gold medal on Tuesday, unseating Uganda's Peruth Chemutai who had to be content with silver. Yavi exuberantly celebrated her victory, having outpaced Chemutai with a powerful final burst that left the Ugandan, who had dominated the race, unable to counter. Chemutai was stunned as Yavi, 24, snatched the win, adding the Olympic crown to her world championship from last year, and setting a new Olympic record time of 8 minutes 52.76 seconds.
"This feels like a dream that has come true. It's incredibly special," Yavi shared with the press. "It carries immense significance for me and for my nation."
Kenyan 20-year-old Faith Cherotich, ranked third globally, secured bronze in her inaugural Olympic appearance. Kenya's Beatrice Chepkoech initially took the lead and was neck-and-neck with Chemutai but lost steam in the final lap, finishing sixth, while France's Alice Finot celebrated her fourth-place finish in a notably swift race.
Chepkoech, 33, holds the world record of 8:44.32 but has yet to win an Olympic medal in the event. In Tokyo, it was Chemutai who orchestrated the surprise, seizing the gold from the favored Chepkoech, thereby becoming the first Ugandan woman to win an Olympic medal in any sport.
