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Faith Cherotich outpaced Olympic champion Winfred Yavi in a thrilling race to claim the Diamond League steeplechase title.
Olympic bronze medalist Faith Cherotich stunned Olympic and World 3,000 m steeplechase champion Winfred Yavi to claim the Diamond League trophy on Saturday at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme- the final of the 2024 Diamond League circuit.
The 20-year-old Cherotich delivered a scintillating performance in Brussels crossing the finish line in an impressive time of 9:02.36.
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In a thrilling battle, Cherotich managed to outpace Yavi, who finished second with a time of 9:02.87. Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai, the 2021 Olympic gold medalist, secured third place with a time of 9:07.60, making it a fiercely competitive race from start to finish.
Germany’s Gesa Felicitas Krause clocked a season-best of 9:08.94 to finish in fourth place, followed by American Gabrielle Jennings, who impressed with a time of 9:09.89 to secure fifth.
Tunisia's Marwa Bouzayani finished sixth in 9:10.19, while Valerie Constien of the USA took seventh in 9:13.31.
Germany’s Lea Meyer and Olivia Markezich from the USA claimed eighth and ninth places, with times of 9:22.71 and 9:27.98, respectively. Ethiopia’s Lomi Muleta completed the top ten, crossing the line in 9:52.35.
Cherotich's tactical prowess was evident throughout the race. Despite trailing Yavi in the early stages, she remained composed.
By the 400m mark, Yavi held the lead, with Chemutai and Cherotich following closely.
As the race progressed to the 1000m mark, the gap between the leading trio and the rest of the pack widened significantly, with Yavi still maintaining her advantage. At this point, Yavi appeared poised to extend her dominance, but Cherotich had other plans.
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The race's turning point came at the 2000m mark, when Cherotich made a bold move, taking the lead for the first time. Chemutai followed closely, with Yavi still within striking distance.
The final 500 meters saw the trio battling for supremacy, with Chemutai briefly surging ahead at the 2500m mark.
However, Cherotich, showing incredible determination, reclaimed the lead in the final lap and held off a hard-charging Yavi to clinch her first Diamond League trophy.
This victory caps off a remarkable season for Cherotich, who has rapidly emerged as one of the sport’s brightest young stars.
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After winning a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Cherotich has consistently demonstrated her class in the highly competitive steeplechase circuit.
She began her season with a third-place finish at the Diamond League Meeting in Xiamen, followed by another third-place showing at the Prefontaine Classic.
Her performance at the Kenyan Olympic trials was another highlight of her season, as she stunned the world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech and Jackline Chepkoech to secure her spot for the Paris Games.
In Brussels, she proved that her Olympic podium finish was no fluke, as she outclassed a world-class field to claim the Diamond League title.
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For Yavi, this defeat brings a temporary halt to what has been an incredible year.
The Bahraini star, who set an Olympic record of 8:52.76 to win the gold medal in Paris, had been in stunning form, winning both the Paris and Rome Diamond League meetings.
She came close to breaking the world record in Rome, clocking an astonishing 8:44.39. Heading into Brussels, Yavi was the overwhelming favorite, but Cherotich’s bold tactics and relentless determination ultimately prevailed.
Peruth Chemutai, who finished second behind Yavi at the Paris Olympics, expressed her intent to break the world record as she set her sights on dethroning Yavi.
Though she managed to briefly lead in Brussels, she ultimately couldn’t hold off Cherotich’s final surge, finishing third.
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