World Athletics Championships 2023: Top three contenders in women’s 3000m steeplechase

Beatrice Chepkoech, Jackline Chepkoech and Sembo Almayew are the favourites for gold medal in women’s 3000m steeplechase at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech poses below the indicating board after setting a new women’s 3000m steeplechase World Record during the Diamond League meeting at the Louis II Stadium in Monaco on July 20, 2018. | Photo Credit: AP

The World Athletics Championships 2023 will be held in Budapest from August 19 to 27.

Here are the top three contenders for the gold medal in women’s 3000m steeplechase in the Hungarian capital:

Beatrice Chepkoech (Kenya)

Beatrice Chepkoech, the 32-year-old from Kenya, is the world record holder in women’s 3000m steeplechase. She won gold medal at the World Championships in Doha in 2019 and also clinched back-to-back Diamond League titles in 2018-19.

She missed last year’s World Championships in Eugene due to an injury.

This season, she finished first at Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi and the Lausanne Diamond League. She also grabbed second position at the Diamond League meeting in London and fourth in both Doha and Florence.

Personal Best: 8:44.32s

Season’s Best: 9:04.32s

Jackline Chepkoech (Kenya)

FILE PHOTO: Kenya’s Jackline Chepkoech. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES

Jackline Chepkoech is a 19-year-old steeplechaser from Kenya who won gold medals at the 2021 World U-20 Championships in Nairobi and 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Jackline took part in the World Championships in Eugene last year but could not qualify for the final. However, she has the fastest time - 8:57.35s - this season which she achieved at the Diamond League meeting in London.

Personal Best: 8:57.35s

Season’s Best: 8:57.35s

Sembo Almayew (Ethiopia)

FILE PHOTO: Ethiopia’s Sembo Almayew. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES

Sembo Almayew is an 18-year-old steeplechaser from Ethiopia. She won silver at the World U-20 Championships in Cali last year. She also made her senior World Championships in Eugene but could not make it to the final.

This season, she won the Diamond League meeting in Florence while finishing second in both Doha and Lausanne.

Personal Best: 9:00.71s

Season’s Best: 9:00.71s

Here’s an athlete who could prove to be the dark horse:-

Winfred Mutile Yavi (Bahrain)

FILE PHOTO: Bahrain’s Winfred Mutile Yavi. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Winfred Yavi is a 23-year-old steeplechaser who was born in Kenya but chose to represent Bahrain from when she was a teenager.

She won gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and bronze at the World U-20 Championships in Tampere the same year. However, she had already made her senior World Championships in 2017 in London as a 18-year-old and finished eighth. She claimed fourth position in the next two editions - Doha (2019) and Eugene (2022).

She achieved her personal best of 8:56.55s at the Paris Diamond League last year. This season, she has participated in the meetings in Doha (finished first) and Florence (finished 11th) along with the Arab Games in Algiers where she won gold.

Personal Best: 8:56.55s

Season’s Best: 9:04.38s

World Record - 8:44.32s (Beatrice Chepkoech at 2018 Monaco Diamond League)

World Championships Record - 8:53.02s (Norah Jeruto at 2022 World Championships in Eugene)

Olympic Record - 8:58.81s (Gulnara Samitova-Galkina at 2008 Beijing Olympics)

World-leading performance in 2023 - 8:57.35s (Jackline Chepkoech at 2023 London Diamond League)