Brussels cold deters Chemutai

Both Peruth Chemutai and Olympic champion Winfred Mutile harboured the intentions of breaking the 3000-metre steeplechase world record (WR) mark at the weekend.

But, when the Wanda Diamond League (DL) final of the water-jump race came at the King Baudouin Stadium on Saturday night, the pair couldn’t come close to Kenyan Beatrice Chepkoech’s mark of eight minutes and 44.32 seconds.

Instead, Mutile and Chemutai were beaten by Kenyan Faith Cherotich to the DL trophy on the day. Cherotich, who pocketed Olympic bronze behind Mutile and Chemutai at the Paris Olympics in France last month, won over the barriers in Brussels with a time of 9:02.36.

Chemutai came in third place in 9:07.60 while Mutile was second in 9:02.87. “It was a long season and she was not having the strong legs like before,” Chemutai’s coach Addy Ruiter said.

Contrary to previous seasons, Chemutai’s season began rather early in March, where she won the silver medal behind Chepkoech at the African Games in Accra, Ghana.

Besides, the weather in Europe is quickly turning from summer to autumn and the conditions in Brussels couldn’t favour another WR attempt. 

“That was also not helping, especially with the cold water from the water-jump,” Ruiter added. However, both Mutile and Chemutai had come close to the WR during the DL leg in Rome, Italy on August 30.

The latter only withered in the final kilometre to post a new Ugandan record mark of 8:48.03, just behind Mutile’s world lead mark of 8:44.39.

Despite losing her Olympic title in Paris, Chemutai capped a stellar outdoor season and her rivalry with world champion Mutile and Cherotich will stretch on next season to the Tokyo World Athletics Championships in Japan.

BRUSSELS DIAMOND LEAGUE

WOMEN’S 800M RESULT

1 Mary Moraa (KEN)                         1:56.56

2 Georgia Bell (GBR)                         1:57.50

3 Natoya Goule-Toppin (JAM)           1:58.94

7 Halimah Nakaayi (UGA)                 1:59.87

WOMEN’S 3000M STEEPLECHASE

1 Faith Cherotich (KEN)                    9:02.36

2 Winfred Yavi Mutile (BRN)           9:02.87

3 Peruth Chemutai (UGA)                  9:07.60

2024 WORLD’S FASTEST WOMEN OVER 3000M STEEPLECHASE

8:44.39 by Winfred Yavi Mutile (BRN) on Aug 30 in Rome (ITA)

8:48.03 by Peruth Chemutai (UGA) on Aug 6 in Rome (ITA)

8:55.15 by Faith Cherotich (KEN) on Aug 6 in Paris (FRA)

8:55.40 by Beatrice Chepkoech (KEN) on Apr 20 in Xiamen (CHN)

8:58.67 by Alice Finot (FRA) on Aug 6 in Paris (FRA)