Chemutai eyes revenge against Mutile
Chemutai led for most of the race at the Olympics. PHOTO/REUTERS
What you need to know:
Chemutai walked off the light purple tartan of the Stade de France on the night of August 6 in disbelief after Mutile had pipped her to the finish-line in the last 50 metres despite controlling it nearly from the gun.
Peruth Chemutai’s emotions were all over the place after she was surprised by Bahraini Winfred Yavi Mutile to the gold medal at the end of the women’s 3000-metre steeplechase final during the Paris Olympics.
Chemutai walked off the light purple tartan of the Stade de France on the night of August 6 in disbelief after Mutile had pipped her to the finish-line in the last 50 metres despite controlling it nearly from the gun.
“I am not happy,” Chemutai said even if she had won a silver medal with a national record time of eight minutes and 53.34 seconds.
Chemutai was only wooed by her coach Addy Ruiter to celebrate the medal but her Olympic title was gone, just like that. Mutile won in a new Olympic record mark of 8:52.76.
Chemutai and Mutile meet for the first time since Paris tonight during the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea - the Rome leg of the Wanda Diamond League - in Italy on Friday.
Chemutai hopes she can earn some revenge. “Yes,” Ruiter reacted with a hearty laugh.
The pair is part of the 16-lady field set to compete over the water-jump race in front of an electric crowd of the Stadio Olimpico.
Since 2017, Mutile and Chemutai have met 25 times with the latter winning on nine occasions. Their times posted in Paris are the fastest in the world this year.
Olympic bronze medalist Kenyan Faith Cherotich who got a new personal best mark of 8:55.15 in Paris, is also in the fray.
And it implies that the Rome DL Meeting Record which stands at 9:00.71 set by Ethiopian Sembo Almayew last year, is now under threat.
Meanwhile, Winnie Nanyondo will compete in the 1500-metre event with a target of beating the time of 4:01.50 to qualify for the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships in Japan.
Nanyondo, who turned 31 last week, has struggled with a troublesome knee this season and her fastest this year has been 4:06.09 posted while in Xiamen, China during the DL event on April 20.
ROME DIAMOND LEAGUE
UGANDAN IN ACTION - FRIDAY
10pm: Peruth Chemutai (Women’s 3000m Steeplechase), Winnie Nanyondo (Women’s 1500m)
2024 WORLD’S FASTEST WOMEN OVER 3000M STEEPLECHASE
8:52.76 by Winfred Yavi Mutile (BRN) on Aug 6 in Paris (FRA)
8:53.34 by Peruth Chemutai (UGA) on Aug 6 in Paris (FRA)
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)
