Kiyeng, Chepkoech, Rotich through to steeplechase final in Rio
Frome left: India's Lalita Shivaji Babar, Tunisia's Habiba Ghribi, USA's Emma Coburn, and Kenya's Beatrice Chepkoech compete in the Women's 3000m Steeplechase Round 1 during the athletics event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 13, 2016. PHOTO | JOHANNES EISELE |
What you need to know:
- First to take to the track was Rotich who timed 9:30.21 for fifth place finish in a Heat that was controlled from start to finish by Bahrain’s former world junior champion Ruth Jebet.
- Rotich however had to wait until the final heat to know whether she had qualified as one of the six fastest finishers beyond the first three in each heat.
- Beatrice Chepkoech won Heat 2 in 9:17.55 ahead of Emma Coburn of the US and Tunisia’s Habiba Ghribi
- The final will be held on Monday at 5:15pm Kenyan time.
IN RIO DE JANEIRO
The Kenyan trio of Hyvin Kiyeng, Beatrice Chepkoech, Lydia Rotich are through to the final of the women's 3000m steeplechase where they have a chance of delivering Kenya's first gold medal over the water and barrier event at the Olympics.
First to take to the track was Rotich who timed 9:30.21 for fifth place finish in a Heat that was controlled from start to finish by Bahrain’s former world junior champion Ruth Jebet - who eased to the finish line in 9:12.63 at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
Rotich however had to wait until the final heat to know whether she had qualified as one of the six fastest finishers beyond the first three in each heat.
"My body just felt heavy and I started off very slowly. This is not what I had planned for," Rotich said.
With the top three finishers and the six fastest finishers going through, the fast pace that Jebet set in heat one would fortunately give Rotich a life line.
"I can't say for sure how the final will be but I'm hopeful of a medal here. It would be a dream come true and I can only pray it happens," the Kenyan-born Bahraini said.
Next was Beatrice Chepkoech who won Heat 2 in 9:17.55 ahead of Emma Coburn of the US and Tunisia’s Habiba Ghribi who were second and third in 9:12.18 and 9:18.71 respectively.
World champion Kiyeng then capped off a good day for the Kenyan steeplechasers with a fine performance in the last Heat.
The 23-year-old was untroubled throughout the race although her time of 9:24.63 was the slowest among the three winners in each Heat.
There was drama in the Heat as Ethiopia’s Etenesh Diro tripped, fell and got up to heroically continue the reminder of the race while running on one shoe. She eventually finished the race in seventh place in a time of 9:34.70.
The final will be held on Monday at 5:15pm Kenyan time.
The passage to the final of the women steeplechasers was good news for Kenya following a poor showing the previous night when all three Kenyan sprinters in 400m bowed out at the heats.
In the women's 1,500m, Nancy Chepkwemoi also failed to get out of the heats leaving only Faith Chepngetich and Violah Lagat in contention.
