World 3,000m steeplechase record holder Beatrice Chepkoech secured a berth at the world championships in Doha with her first ever victory in the event on home soil at the Kenyan trials yesterday.
The 28-year-old, who only made the transition to steeplechase three years ago, has won five Diamond League races this season and successfully defended her world best title in Zurich on August 29.
Chepkoech clocked a modest 9:45:15 at the trials in Nairobi, ahead of 2015 world champion Hyvin Kiyeng (9:45.20) and Celliphine Chespol in 9:45.25.
The trio, who will try in Doha to wrest the world title from American defending champion Emma Coburn, crossed the line together in a show of unity.
But for Chepkoech, the victory held a personal significance — it was her first 3000m steeplechase win in her native Kenya since switching from road racing to the steeplechase in 2016.
“It’s given me a great feeling, winning my first race in Kenya,” she said. At the last world championships in London in 2017, an inexperienced Chepkoech finished fourth, missing a medal.
But since then she has dominated the field. In July, at a Diamond League meet in California, Chepkoech finished well ahead of the chasing pack with 8min 55.58 sec — the fifth fastest time in history.
Meanhwile, Olympic 800 metres champion Caster Semenya will be officially awarded her gold medal from the 2011 world athletics championships at this year’s edition in Doha, but she will not be there to receive it.
Semenya was elevated to the gold medal position two years ago when Russian athlete Mariya Savinova, who sped past her on the final straight, was later disqualified for doping violations.
The South African athlete had hoped to defend her 2017 world championship title in Doha starting on Sept. 27, but was forced to withdraw with no verdict yet delivered in her appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal against testosterone regulations imposed on her.
Semenya is appealing the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) ruling that supported regulations introduced by the sport’s governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
These say that XY chromosome athletes with differences in sexual development (DSDs) can race in distances from 400m to a mile only if they take medication to reach a reduced testosterone level.
Semenya has refused to be bound by these restrictions, placing a cloud over her future in athletics. Athletics South Africa (ASA) confirmed yesterday that Semenya would not be in Doha to receive the medal personally during an IAAF ceremony, but that a representative would collect it on her behalf.
Sunette Viljoen, who has been elevated from bronze to silver in the javelin from the 2011 championships will take part in the ceremony. Russian athlete Mariya Abakumova, the original gold medallist, was also later disqualified for doping violations.
“Congratulations to our athletes for their achievements and for being honoured as clean athletes,” ASA president Aleck Skhosana said in a media statement.
“We are happy that the IAAF now offers a chance to the rightful winners a podium celebration in front of a capacity stadium which the cheats denied them at the original competition.”
ASA say they will conduct a formal hand-over to Semenya at a later date.
Semenya now has two Olympic, three world championship and one Commonwealth Games gold medal in the 800m.
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