By Debra Rono
Kenya achieved its fourth medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, with Faith Cherotich earning a bronze medal in the women’s 3000M steeplechase during her Olympic debut.
The former world under-20 champion finished third, clocking a personal best of 8:55:15, trailing behind Bahraini athlete Winfred Yavi, who won with a time of 8:52:76, and Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai, who took silver with a time of 8:53:34.
“I tried my best and I’m content with the third-place finish. I’ve lined up against world beaters, which motivates me as I get into this discipline properly. The final lap was really fast and when I looked around and saw my colleague Beatrice had slowed down, I vowed not to let it go and ensure that Kenya gets something,” Cherotich remarked.
Cherotich also won bronze at last year’s World Championships in Budapest.
Beatrice Chepkoech, the world record holder in the 3000M, finished sixth at 9:04:24 and attributed her performance to pneumonia, stating that she is still undergoing treatment.
“I got pneumonia after trials. I went to the doping room while wet and that affected me. I reported that when I went to camp I was coughing. I came in here with the effect of medication and I tried to feel how the body would respond. Running with medication is tough. I am happy for Cherotich, she fought till the end to ensure we had a medal,” Chepkoech expressed after the race.
Kenya also competed in the men’s 1500M finals on Tuesday evening, but the results were disappointing. Tokyo silver medalist Timothy Cheruiyot finished in 11th place, while Olympic debutant Brian Komen came in 12th, diminishing hopes of ending Kenya’s 16-year gold medal drought in this event.