Nakaayi, Chemutai delight in long Eugene trip
Nakaayi finished third.
What you need to know:
Like Nakaayi who came close to her PB mark of 1:57.26, Chemutai ran her second fastest time ever of 8:51.77 to get third place over the women’s 3000 metres steeplechase.
NEW JERSEY, USA. It is true positions speak a lot in individual sport, like athletics and it leaves the small undertones to fade from therein.
Both Peruth Chemutai and Halimah Nakaayi made it to the podium during their race at the Wanda Diamond League (DL) leg in Eugene, Oregon in the USA on Saturday.
Yet, it is the small improvements which counted most. Nakaayi got her season better when she powered in the final 75 metres to take third place in the women’s 800 metres at the Hayward Field in the early hours of yesterday.
The 2019 world champion clocked a new season best (SB) mark of one minute and 57.89 seconds behind world leader Ethiopian Tsige Duguma and South African Prudence Sekgodiso.
“Alhamdulillah, the race has been good, and I am feeling super happy for finishing among the top three,” Nakaayi said before her flight back home.
To take third place, Nakaayi had beaten some big names in the field including 2021 Olympic champion American Athing Mu and 2023 world champion Kenyan Mary Moraa.
“For sure, I don’t know what to say, but I am only focusing on myself to be a better version every day, and this is sports. Sometimes we do have bad days at work so those two ladies are great champions,” Nakaayi added.
The 30-year-old kept inside lane 1 after the bell and for longer spells when pacemaker Michaela Rose took the field through the first 400 metres in 57.23 seconds.
Great Britain’s Jemma Reekie had followed Rose with the bigger part of the group staying back. Inside the final lap, the field caught up and swallowed Reekie while Sekgodiso and Duguma hit the front.
As the latter pushed to seal her third straight DL win in a time of 1:57.10 to add to wins in Rabat, Morocco and Shanghai, China in May, Sekgodiso earned a new personal best (PB) of 1:57.16.
Like Nakaayi who came close to her PB mark of 1:57.26, Chemutai ran her second fastest time ever of 8:51.77 to get third place over the women’s 3000 metres steeplechase.
Winner last year in Eugene, Chemutai had hoped to repeat the trick when she led the first 2000 metres at 5:55.39 but she was eclipsed by her familiar rivals Bahraini Winfred Yavi Mutile and Kenyan Faith Cherotich.
“Wonderful race again. The level in the steeplechase was never so high like this year,” said Chemutai’s coach Addy Ruiter.
Mutile posted a meeting record and world leading time of 8:45.25 while Cherotich’s race winning streak came to an end despite a new PB of 8:48.71.
Meanwhile, youngster Keneth Kiprop posted 27:47.91 in 15th place on his 10000 metres debut. The race was won by Biniam Mehary who posted a closing lap of 55 seconds to clock a WL time of 26:43.82 ahead of Ethiopian compatriots Berihu Aregawi and Selemon Barega.
