Kenyans Beatrice Chepkoech & Faith Cherotich set for battle with defector Winfred Yavi for steeplechase gold

Kenyans Beatrice Chepkoech & Faith Cherotich set for battle with defector Winfred Yavi for steeplechase gold

Joel Omotto 13:06 - 06.08.2024

Uganda's Peruth Chemutai equally wants to have a say in the battle for Olympics gold medal.

Beatrice Chepkoech has possibly the final opportunity to win an Olympics gold as she takes to the track in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase final on Tuesday night (9.14pm Kenyan time).

It has been a disappointing outing at the Olympics for the world record holder following a fourth place finish in Rio 2016 and seventh in Tokyo 2020.

At 33, Paris represents the best chance to banish those memories as she will be 37 when the next Olympics is held in Los Angles, USA in 2028 given the emergence of younger runners over the distance.

Since breaking the world record in 2018 and winning gold at the 2019 World Championships, she has not been on the winner’s podium again but managed silver at the 2023 Worlds in Budapest, Hungary.

That was after losing out to Kenyan-born Bahraini Winfred Mutile Yavi and the Makueni native is seen as favourite for gold in Paris again, hence a need for good strategy from Chepkoech.

Chepkoech will be in the good company of youngster Faith Cherotich who looks like the woman to fill her shoes when she finally exits the stage.

Cherotich won bronze at last year’s World Championships and has shown great quality which offers Kenya confidence of two medals in the race.

It is not just Yavi who will be giving the Kenyan contingent a run for their money as Ugandan Peruth Chemutai, the Olympics champion, will be out to defend her title.