ATHLETICS – Bahrain's world and Olympic champion Winfred Yavi continues to make history on the biggest stage of global athletics.
In her first race since striking gold at Paris 2024, the 24-year-old claimed a dazzling victory last night in the Pietro Mennea Golden Gala meeting, held at Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy, setting new Asian and Bahrain records, a new meeting record, the year’s fastest time in the world, a new personal best, and the second-fastest time all time – just seven-hundredths-of-a-second shy of the world record.
“I looked at the time after the race and I went oh, no!’” Yavi said after her run. “I was really expecting that record and I was going for it.
“I definitely feel I should break it and I believe it will happen. I need to work even harder. And I am planning to have another go at it before the end of the season!
“My biggest goal for next year is to become a double world champion.”
Yavi put in a sensational finish against a top-quality field that included her familiar rivals in former Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai of Uganda and world and Olympic bronze-medallist Faith Cherotich of Kenya, among others. All three were in familiar position, battling one another for the victory in a high-profile meeting.
After pacing herself behind the leaders for the early stages of the race, Yavi stayed in touch with leader Chemutai after the first 1,000m. They maintained their places midway through the run until the bell, when Yavi made her move to the front to take command.
Her kick was explosive and she didn’t let up, powering to the finish comfortably clear of the rest of the field, and winning with a blistering time of eight minutes 44.39 seconds.
Her mark not only set a series of new records – it was also the first time in her career that she broke the eight-minute and 50-second barrier, becoming the second of only three women to ever do so. Yavi shattered her old personal best of 8:50.66 and season’s best of 8:52.76.
Chemutai finished as runner-up in a new Ugandan record and personal best of 8:48.03. She became the third woman in history to dip below eight minutes and 50 seconds, joining Yavi and world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech.
Cherotich came third in 8:57.65. Valerie Constien of the US was fourth in 9:04.22, Marwa Bouzayani of Tunisia came fifth in a new national record and personal best of 9:04.93, and Gabrielle Jennings of the US was sixth in 9:07.70. Sixteen runners competed in last night’s steeplechase race.
“I kind of paced this race for Yavi,” Chemutai said. “I knew that Yavi has this strong kick at the end.”
Last night’s meeting was part of this year’s Wanda Diamond League, which is the premier one-day meeting series under World Athletics, track and field’s international governing body.
With her result, Yavi secured her spot in the women’s steeplechase at the Diamond League Final, to be held in Brussels, Belgium on September 13 and 14. She will be gunning for back-to-back Diamond League crowns.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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