Prime
Chemutai season bow in Doha
Chemutai needs a fast start to the season in Doha, Qatar. PHOTO/COURTSEY
What you need to know:
Chemutai posted nine minutes and 20.07 seconds in third place during her season opener at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, Kenya a year ago. The test in Doha is bigger.
Peruth Chemutai picked her second piece of silverware in the senior ranks of elite running but her scorecard over the 3000m steeplechase was below par last year.
A bacterial infection struck her at the wrong time and struggled to compete thereby labouring to finish a distant 11th at the Oregon World Championships in Eugene, USA last July.
A fortnight later, Chemutai was surely better but she stepped poorly while going over the barrier and fell to the floor at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham. She limped over the remaining 700m and bravely settled for a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in England.
Actually, the 23-year-old has not competed on track since. Uganda's first female Olympic champion Chemutai will return to the seven-and-a-half-lap water-jump race on her season bow at the Wanda Diamond League opener in Doha, Qatar on Friday night.
Chemutai will brace for a fine season start in a field of 13 ladies under the lights at the Khalifa Stadium. She feels ready. “Yes,” she said in a brief chat.
Her coach Addy Ruiter’s expectations are however not so big but a trajectory of progress is desired ahead of the Budapest World Championships due August 18-27 in Hungary.
“She needs more time to be in good shape again,” said Ruiter. The field has familiar faces for Chemutai which include reigning world bronze medallist Ethiopian Mekides Abebe, 2019 world champion Kenyan Beatrice Chepkoech, 10-time US champion Emma Coburn and Kenyan-born Bahraini Winfred Yavi.
Chemutai posted nine minutes and 20.07 seconds in third place during her season opener at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, Kenya a year ago. The test in Doha is bigger.
CHEMUTAI AT A GLANCE
Date of Birth: Jul 10, 1999
Major Event: 3000m steeplechase
Personal Best: 9:01.45
Coach: Addy Ruiter
Manager: Jurrie van der Velden
Worlds Appearances: 11th (Oregon 2022), 5th (Doha 2019), 8th Heat 3 (London 2017)
Major Honours: Tokyo 2020 Olympics (Gold), Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games (Bronze), 2018 World U20 Championships (Silver), 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games (1500m Silver & 3000m Silver)
CHEMUTAI OVER BARRIERS IN 2022
May 7: Kip Keino, 3rd (9:20.07)
May 28: Prefontaine Classic, 4th (9:05.54)
Jun 6: FBK Games, 1st (9:14.00)
Jul 16: Oregon World Champs - Heat 2, 5th (9:16.66)
Jul 20: Oregon World Champs - Final, 11th (9:21.93)
Aug 5: Commonwealth Games, 3rd (9:23.24)
