Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's 3000 metres steeplechase

The women's 3000 metres steeplechase event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place on 1 and 4 August 2021 at the Japan National Stadium.[1] 41 athletes competed.[2]

Women's 3000 metres steeplechase
at the Games of the XXXII Olympiad
Olympic Athletics
VenueJapan National Stadium
Dates1 August 2021 (round 1)
4 August 2021 (final)
Competitors41 from 24 nations
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Peruth Chemutai  Uganda
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Courtney Frerichs  United States
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Hyvin Jepkemoi  Kenya
← 2016
2024 →

Summary edit

Beatrice Chepkoech came in to these Olympics as the World Record holder and World Champion, but she has not seemed as dominant in 2021. 2016 Gold Medalist Ruth Jebet could not return due to a drug suspension for using EPO.[3] Silver medalist Hyvin Kiyeng Jepkemoi and bronze medalist Emma Coburn returned.

In the final, Chepkoech moved to the front off the line, the pack obliged her the lead as they got organized at a slow pace. After a lap, Peruth Chemutai stepped out to lane 2 and cruised from the back of the pack to the front to up the speed. For the next two and a half laps, Kiyeng, Coburn, Chepkoech, Winfred Yavi and Courtney Frerichs jockeyed around behind Chemutai while the rest of the sixteen starters struggled to keep up. Then Frerichs moved to the front, injecting more speed. The group of six broke off the front. Seeing the break, Maruša Mišmaš-Zrimšek almost sprinted to bridge the gap and joining the group. After another lap, Chepkoech struggled and fell off the back. About the same time, Frerichs broke off the front, only Chemutai gave chase. Coming off the water jump with a little more than two laps to go, Frerichs accelerated again, losing Chemutai up to 15 metres behind. After the next water jump, with a little over a lap to go, Chemutai sped up to pull in the gap. She went by Frerichs with authority at the beginning of the backstretch. Frerichs accelerated again to keep contact with Chemutai. Chemutai took the final water jump cleanly, Frerichs got hung up in the water and the break was made. Chemutai cruised home with a 20 metre margin, holding up her number one finger to celebrate Uganda's first victory in the Steeplechase and becoming the first Ugandan woman to take gold.[4] Frerichs lost her momentum and struggled home the final straightaway but still had enough of a margin on a fast closing Kiyeng to take silver.

Background edit

This was the 4th appearance of the event, having appeared at every Olympics since 2008.

Qualification edit

A National Olympic Committee (NOC) could enter up to 3 qualified athletes in the women's 3000 metres steeplechase event if all athletes meet the entry standard or qualify by ranking during the qualifying period. (The limit of 3 has been in place since the 1930 Olympic Congress.) The qualifying standard is 9:30.00. This standard was "set for the sole purpose of qualifying athletes with exceptional performances unable to qualify through the IAAF World Rankings pathway." The world rankings, based on the average of the best five results for the athlete over the qualifying period and weighted by the importance of the meet, will then be used to qualify athletes until the cap of 45 is reached.[2][5]

The qualifying period was originally from 1 May 2019 to 29 June 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the period was suspended from 6 April 2020 to 30 November 2020, with the end date extended to 29 June 2021. The world rankings period start date was also changed from 1 May 2019 to 30 June 2020; athletes who had met the qualifying standard during that time were still qualified, but those using world rankings would not be able to count performances during that time. The qualifying time standards could be obtained in various meets during the given period that have the approval of the IAAF. Both indoor and outdoor meets are eligible. The most recent Area Championships may be counted in the ranking, even if not during the qualifying period.[2][6]

NOCs cannot use their universality place in the 3000 metres steeplechase.[2]

Competition format edit

The event will continue to use the two-round format introduced in 2012.[7]

Records edit

Prior to this competition, the existing world, Olympic, and area records are as follows.

World record   Beatrice Chepkoech (KEN) 8:44.32 Monaco 20 July 2018
Olympic record   Gulnara Galkina (RUS) 8:58.81 Beijing, China 17 August 2008
Area Time (s) Athlete Nation
Africa (records) 8:44.32 WR Beatrice Chepkoech   Kenya
Asia (records) 8:52.78 Ruth Jebet   Bahrain
Europe (records) 8:58.81 Gulnara Samitova-Galkina   Russia
North, Central America
and Caribbean
(records)
9:00.85 Courtney Frerichs   United States
Oceania (records) 9:14.28 Genevieve LaCaze   Australia
South America (records) 9:25.99 Belén Casetta   Argentina

The following national records were established during the competition:

Nation Athlete Round Time Notes
Canada Genevieve Lalonde Round 1 9:22.64
Brazil Tatiane Raquel da Silva Round 1 9:36.43
Uganda Peruth Chemutai Final 9:01.45
Slovenia Maruša Mišmaš-Zrimšek Final 9:14.84
Great Britain Elizabeth Bird Final 9:19.69

Schedule edit

All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)

The women's 3000 metres steeplechase will take place over two separate days.[1]

Date Time Round
Sunday, 1 August 2021 9:10 Round 1
Wednesday, 4 August 2021 20:00 Final

Results edit

Round 1 edit

Qualification rule: First 3 in each heat (Q) and the next 6 fastest (q) advance to the Final.

Heat 1 edit

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Winfred Yavi   Bahrain 9:10.80 Q
2 Peruth Chemutai   Uganda 9:12.72 Q, SB
3 Emma Coburn   United States 9:16.91 Q
4 Geneviève Lalonde   Canada 9:22.64 q, NR
5 Purity Cherotich Kirui   Kenya 9:30.13
6 Marwa Bouzayani   Tunisia 9:31.25 PB
7 Lea Meyer   Germany 9:33.00
8 Xu Shuangshuang   China 9:34.92
9 Michelle Finn   Ireland 9:36.26
10 Lomi Muleta   Ethiopia 9:45.81
11 Nataliya Strebkova   Ukraine 9:49.15
12 Belén Casetta   Argentina 9:52.89
13 Georgia Winkcup   Australia 9:59.29
14 Simone Ferraz   Brazil 10:00.92

Heat 2 edit

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Courtney Frerichs   United States 9:19.34 Q
2 Gesa Felicitas Krause   Germany 9:19.62 Q
3 Beatrice Chepkoech   Kenya 9:19.82 Q
4 Zerfe Wondemagegn   Ethiopia 9:20.01 q
5 Luiza Gega   Albania 9:23.85 q, SB
6 Genevieve Gregson   Australia 9:26.11 q
7 Tatiane Raquel da Silva   Brazil 9:36.43 NR
8 Regan Yee   Canada 9:41.14
9 Irene van der Reijken   Netherlands 9:42.98
10 Yuno Yamanaka   Japan 9:43.83
11 Aimee Pratt   Great Britain 9:47.56
12 Aneta Konieczek   Poland 10:07.25
13 Zita Kácser   Hungary 10:43.99

Heat 3 edit

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
1 Hyvin Jepkemoi   Kenya 9:23.17 Q
2 Maruša Mišmaš-Zrimšek   Slovenia 9:23.36 Q
3 Mekides Abebe   Ethiopia 9:23.95 Q
4 Valerie Constien   United States 9:24.31 q
5 Elizabeth Bird   Great Britain 9:24.34 q
6 Elena Burkard   Germany 9:30.64
7 Lili Anna Tóth   Hungary 9:30.96 PB
8 Alicja Konieczek   Poland 9:31.79
9 Anna Emilie Møller   Denmark 9:31.99 SB
10 Alycia Butterworth   Canada 9:34.25
11 Amy Cashin   Australia 9:34.67
12 Eilish Flanagan   Ireland 9.34.86 PB
13 Carolina Robles   Spain 9:45.37 qR
14 Adva Cohen   Israel 10:05.95

Final edit

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
  Peruth Chemutai   Uganda 9:01.45 NR
  Courtney Frerichs   United States 9:04.79 SB
  Hyvin Kiyeng Jepkemoi   Kenya 9:05.39
4 Mekides Abebe   Ethiopia 9:06.16
5 Gesa Felicitas Krause   Germany 9:14.00
6 Maruša Mišmaš-Zrimšek   Slovenia 9:14.84 NR
7 Beatrice Chepkoech   Kenya 9:16.33
8 Zerfe Wondemagegn   Ethiopia 9:16.41 PB
9 Elizabeth Bird   Great Britain 9:19.68 NR
10 Winfred Yavi   Bahrain 9:19.74
11 Geneviève Lalonde   Canada 9:22.40 NR
12 Valerie Constien   United States 9:31.61
13 Luiza Gega   Albania 9:34.10
14 Carolina Robles   Spain 9:50.96
Genevieve Gregson   Australia DNF
Emma Coburn   United States DQ

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Athletics Competition Schedule". Tokyo 2020. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "Qualification System – Games of the XXXI Olympiad – Athletics" (PDF). IAAF. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 March 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  3. ^ "Olympic steeplechase, high jump champions face doping charges". 20 July 2018.
  4. ^ "Athletics: Chemutai secures steeplechase gold for Uganda". CNA. Archived from the original on 5 August 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  5. ^ "IAAF to follow other sports with world ranking system for athletes". BBC Sport. 7 March 2018. Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  6. ^ "Olympic qualification period suspended until 1 December 2020". World Athletics. 6 April 2020. Archived from the original on 9 April 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  7. ^ "Athletics Explanatory Guide" (PDF). Tokyo 2020. August 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.