No gold yet! Chespol beaten by Jamaican to steeplechase title

IN GOLD COAST

Jamaica beating Kenya to the steeplechase title at a major championship is akin to Harambee Stars beating Brazil in the final of Fifa World Cup.

Hitherto impossible.

But Jamaica’s Aisha Praught on Wednesday proved that, as sportswear giants Adidas’ slogan says, “Impossible is Nothing” by claiming the Commonwealth Games steeplechase gold at the Carrara Stadium before a stunned crowd that had already tipped Kenya for a clean sweep.

Kenya’s tribulations continued later into the Gold Coast night when the remaining sprinters drew blanks.

Millicent Ndoro and Mark Otieno failed to emerge from the 200 metres semi-finals while Maximilia Imali threw down the gauntlet in the 400m final, leading at the final curve, but wilted in the race won by former drugs cheat Amantle Montsho in a season’s best 50.15 seconds.

Jamaica took silver and bronze through Anastasia Le-roy (50.57) and Stephanie McPherson (50.93).

Imali was stretchered off the media mixed zone with suspected damage on her hamstrings.

She clocked 51.32.

STORY OF RESILIENCE

Praught’s story is one of resilience and venturing into the unknown.

The daughter of a reggae artist took up the steeplechase just to ensure her school’s track team had depth.

"I was actually a 400 metres runner, I’ve run 59 (seconds) but my university wanted an all-round athletics team and so I decided why not get into the steeplechase!” said the Wisconsin-born 28-year-old Illinois State University Hall of Famer.

“I’ve been gradually improving and I know you are surprised because is is not a traditionally Jamaican sport but we really want to diversify.”

She based her training in her adopted nation of US and it came in handy when she challenged pre-race favourite Celliphine Chespol of Kenya in the final stages of the race much to the surprise of the Kenyan camp.

Her winning time of nine minutes, 21.00 seconds was outside her personal best 9:19.29, but that didn’t matter as much as the gold medal that had everyone talking.

“Congrats on a huge win,” tweeted three-time US 5,000 metres champion Molly Huddle after the race.

"Girls watching in Jamaica will be wanting to steeple like you someday!”

Chespol, bronze medallist at last year’s IAAF World Cross Country Championships, settled for silver in 9:22.61 while defending champion Purity Cherotich took bronze in 9:25.74.

The third Kenyan, Fancy Cherono, who was making her debut in the senior category after a fifth-place finish at the 2017 Africa Under-20 Championships, was sixth in 9:46.27.

“My body just failed to react,” said Cherotich, who has represented Kenya since 2009 when she finished fourth at the Africa Junior Championships in Bambous, Mauritius.

“Then I thought Chespol would take the fight to the Jamaican but I was shocked to see the Jamaican win, and I could do nothing as I was way back.”

Chespol said she just didn’t know what went wrong.

“I didn’t realise that she has right behind me,” said the 19-year-old 2016 World Under-20 steeplechase champion who has a PB of 8:58.78 over the water and barriers.

Kenya will now seek redemption in the 400m hurdles and 800m finals.

Kenya has former world champion Nicholas Bett and his twin brother Aron Cheruiyot lined up in the hurdles from 12.45pm Kenyan time while the pair of Jonathan Kitilit and Wycliffe Kinyaman will battle for the 800m gold.