NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 9 – World Under-20 steeplechase champion Faith Cherotich continued her impressive transition into the senior ranks with a third-place finish at the final leg of the Diamond League in Zurich on Thursday.
The 18-year-old ran a personal best (PB) of 9:06.14 in the women’s 3000m steeplechase as Ethiopian Werkuha Getachew (9:03.57) and Kenyan-born Bahraini Winfred Yavi (9:04.47) finished first and second respectively.
It was an improvement for the Form Three student whose maiden Diamond League race in Brussels last week yielded a fourth-place finish.
The youngster’s last race in the senior ranks was during the third edition of the Kip Keino Classic at Moi Stadium, Kasarani where she finished second in the women’s 3000m steeplechase.
At the World Under-20 Championships in Cali, Colombia in August, she inherited the title won by fellow Kenyan, Jackline Chepkoech, in Nairobi last year.
Meanwhile, Commonwealth Games champion Chepkoech encountered a bit of a blip in her young career, finishing a disappointing fifth in the same race after clocking 9:11.06.
After missing out on podium places at the previous legs in Eugene and Monaco, the 18-year-old had bounced back impressively last week in Brussels, clocking 9:02.43 to finish first.
Bakkali does it again
In the men’s 3000m steeplechase, it was an agonising evening for Team Kenya as world and Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali strolled to the Diamond League trophy.
The Moroccan timed 8:07.67, ahead of 2019 Diamond League winner Getnet Wale (8:08.56) of Ethiopia and Commonwealth Games champion Abraham Kibiwot (8:08.61) of Kenya who finished second and third respectively.
El Bakkali has been on a winning streak ever since the Tokyo Olympics in August last year when he loosened Kenya’s grip on the steeplechase title for the first time in 53 years.
He later won the second edition of the Kip Keino Classic in September last year, on the cradle of steeplechase, to extend his newfound dominance over Kenyans.
In Oregon, he was able to exert revenge on then world champion, Kenyan Conseslus Kipruto as he followed up on his Olympic title with a win at the World Championships.
For Kibiwot, a third-place finish is great way to wrap up his season after a disappointing sixth-place at his last Diamond League race in Lausanne, a fortnight ago.
The African bronze medalist’s other podium finishes in the Diamond League circuit include Doha (3rd) and Rome (2nd) in May and June respectively.
Other Kenyans in the race included Leonard Bett, Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Amos Serem and Lawrence Kipsang who came fifth, sixth and seventh.
Next year’s edition of the Diamond League will commence in Shanghai and Shenzhen, both in China.
