Hengelo win boosts Chemutai

Just slightly over four weeks ago, Peruth Chemutai departed Qatar’s capital Doha disappointed.

The 3000 metres steeplechase runner had expected a season bow better than the outcome at Doha leg of the Wanda Diamond League on May 16.

It perplexed her, as well as her manager Youri Verbaas. Her coach Addy Ruiter too had expected a fast start to 2025.

That’s, considering Chemutai, had won an Olympic silver medal and also posted the third fastest time ever - eight minutes and 48.03 seconds - over the water-jump race last year.

So when she posted 9:15.55 in seventh place at the Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium, it distorted some season plans. However on Monday, Chemutai provided a response.

Uganda’s only female Olympic champion breezed through the field to comfortably win the seven-and-a-half-lap race over the barriers at the FBK Games in Hengelo, Netherlands on Monday evening.

“I have to thank the crowd, because they gave me the energy for the race today,” Chemutai reacted after posting a winning time of 9:07.79.

“I am so happy because I ran a pretty good and fast race. I came here to prove my shape,” she said, “With this result and time, I’m seeing and showing the body still has it - the shape is coming slowly.

“I am just so happy because recently I competed in Doha and I wasn’t feeling very well there. Today, I showed my body is okay again. I decided to push and it worked,” added Chemutai.

That response is vital for Chemutai who is gunning for the global title come the Tokyo World Athletics Championships during mid-September in Japan’s capital.

On paper, the 25-year-old is Uganda’s biggest medal prospect for the Tokyo job. The victory in Hengelo struck a wave of confidence in her spikes especially because controlled all stages of the race.

Amid cloudy conditions and a humidity of 71 percent, Chemutai charged all through, leading the field through 1000 metres after 2:57.94 minutes and the clock also read 6:03.33 as she still led the 14-lady field.

Chemutai finished with the third fastest time of the year and only Kenyan Faith Cherotich and Bahraini Winfred Yavi Mutile who did 1-2 in Doha, have run faster than her.

Mutile, Chemutai and Cherotich in that order took the gold, silver and bronze medals at Olympics in Paris, France last August and their duel, bar no injuries or any other unforeseen circumstances, goes on until the Tokyo Worlds.

Meanwhile, another Ugandan Joy Cheptoyek will compete in the women’s 10000-metre race on Day One of the Stockholm Diamond League in Norway, with a target of beating the Tokyo qualifying standard of 30:20.00.

Ranked 48th globally over the 25-lap distance, Cheptoyek’s personal best stands at 32:09.52 hence she must run the race of her life.

FBK HENGELO GAMES

WOMEN’S 3000M STEEPLECHASE RESULT

1 Peruth Chemutai (UGA)      9:07.79

2 Wosane Asefa (ETH)           9:20.83

3 Caren Chebet (KEN)           9:22.35

CHEMUTAI AT A GLANCE 

Date of Birth: Jul 10, 1999

Age: 25

Main Event: Women’s 3000m steeplechase

Personal Best: 8:48.03

Coach: Addy Ruiter

Manager: Youri Verbaas

Major Honours: Tokyo 2020 Olympics Gold, 2024 African Games Silver, Paris 2024 Olympics Silver

WOMEN’S 3000M STEEPLECHASE IN 2025

FASTEST TIMES

9:05.08 by Faith Cherotich (KEN) on May 16

9:05.26 by Winfred Yavi Mutile (BRN) on May 16

9:07.79 by Peruth Chemutai (UGA) on Jun 9

9:09.27 by Sembo Almayew (ETH) on May 16

9:10.13 by Doris Lemngole (KEN) on Apr 18