2019 World Athletics Championships – Women's 3000 metres steeplechase explained

Event:	Women's 3000 metres steeplechase
Competition:	2019 World Championships
Venue:	Khalifa International Stadium
Dates:	27 September (heats) 30 September (final)
Competitors:	42
Nations:	26
Win Value:	8:57.84
Gold:	Beatrice Chepkoech
Goldnoc:	KEN
Silver:	Emma Coburn
Silvernoc:	USA
Bronze:	Gesa Felicitas Krause
Bronzenoc:	GER
Prev:	2017
Next:	2022

The women's 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2019 World Athletics Championships was held at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, from 27 to 30 September 2019.^[1]

Summary

World record holder Beatrice Chepkoech captured her first world title with a dominant performance in the women’s 3000 metres steeplechase at the World Championships in Doha. The 28-year-old Kenyan led the race from start to finish crossing the line in 8 minutes 57.84 seconds setting a championship record. At one point she led the field by 60 metres before defending champion Emma Coburn attempted to reign her in. The American, Coburn, captured the silver medal running a personal best of 9:03.35 finishing four and one-half seconds behind Chepkoech. Germany’s Gesa Felicitas Krause ran 9:03.30 to take the bronze medal for the second time at a world championship event and also set a new national record. Bahrain’s Winifred Yavi just missed the medal podium running a personal best of 9:05.68 to finish fourth.

Two other national records were established during the race; Denmark’s Anna Emilie Møller finished seventh with a time of 9:13.46 and Albania’s Luiza Gega ran 9:19.93 to finished ninth.

Race Details

When the gun sounded to start the final, Kenya's Beatrice Chepkoech wasted no time stepping off to the lead and quickly establishing an expanding gap between herself and the field; 15 metres by the first barrier, 20 metres in the first lap. This caused a seven-woman pack to form led by Bahrain's Winfred Yavi with top challengers Hyvin Kiyeng, defending champion Emma Coburn, and Peruth Chemutai tucked in behind Yavi. The pack was running at a brisk pace, too, but after one kilometre found themselves seven seconds behind Chepkoech.

Chepkoech covered the first kilometre in 2:52.95. She ran her second kilometre in 3:02.34 for a 2,000 metres time of 5:55.28.

At the 6:34 mark Chepkoech opened up a 60 metre lead over the field. Thirty seconds later, at the 7:04 mark, the American Coburn would make a bold move to separate herself from the pack and chase down the leader. The defending champion ran her final kilometre in 2:57 cutting Chepkoech lead by one-half, but it was too great a distance to overcome finishing four and one-half seconds behind the leader.

Chepkoech ran the final kilometer in 3:02.56 to finish at 8:57.84, capturing gold and establishing a championship record.

Fresh off her 2000 metres steeplechase world record a month earlier, Gesa Felicitas Krause ran a spectacular final lap passing two runners, Kiyeng and Yavi, to pick up the bronze medal.

Coburn improved her standing to

1. 8 of all time

fastest women's steeplechase list. Krause set her German national record and moved to #9 on the list; Yavi moved up to #11. Anna Emilie Møller set a Danish national record in her preliminary heat and then improved upon it in the final. Finally, Luiza Gega set an Albanian national record.

Of note, at the 6:26 mark and then in fifth place, Kenya's Celliphine Chespol withdrew from the race; she crossed over a water jump and appeared to have injured herself.

Records

Before the competition records were as follows:^[2]

Record		Athlete		Date	Location
World record	8:44.32	Beatrice Chepkoech	Kenya	20 Jul 2018	Monaco
Championship	9:02.58	Emma Coburn		11 Aug 2017	London, Great Britain
World leading	8:55.58	Beatrice Chepkoech	Kenya	30 Jun 2019	Palo Alto, California, US
African	8:44.32	Beatrice Chepkoech	Kenya	20 Jul 2018	Monaco
Asian	8:52.78	Ruth Jebet	Bahrain	27 Aug 2016	Saint-Denis, France
NACAC	9:00.85	Courtney Frerichs	United States	20 Jul 2018	Monaco
South American	9:25.99	Belén Casetta	Argentina	11 Aug 2017	London, Great Britain
European	8:58.81	Gulnara Samitova-Galkina	Russian Federation	17 Aug 2008	Beijing, China
Oceanian	9:14.28	Genevieve Lacaze	Australia	27 Aug 2016	Saint-Denis, France

Schedule

The event schedule, in local time (UTC+3), was as follows:^[3]

Date	Time	Round
27 September	18:55	Heats
30 September	21:50	Final

Results

Heats

Qualification: First 3 in each heat (Q) and the next 6 fastest (q) advanced to the final.^[4]

Rank	Heat	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	2			9:18.01	Q
2	2			9:18.42	Q
3	2			9:18.82	Q
4	2			9:18.92	q, NR
5	1			9:21.98	Q
6	1			9:23.40	Q
7	1			9:24.22	Q
8	1			9:27.61	q,
9	1			9:27.74	q,
10	2			9:28.32	q
11	1			9:28.84	q
12	3			9:29.15	Q
13	3			9:29.40	Q
14	3			9:29.68	Q
15	1			9:30.01	q
16	2			9:30.13
17	2			9:30.85
18	3			9:32.34
19	3			9:35.59
20	3			9:37.34
21	1			9:38.91
22	3			9:40.92
23	1			9:42.23
24	1			9:42.92
25	3			9:43.75
26	1			9:44.06
27	2			9:44.80
28	1			9:44.96
29	3			9:45.07
30	2			9:47.44
31	3			9:47.78
32	1			9:48.08
33	3			9:48.56
34	3			9:49.18
35	2			9:49.28
36	3			9:50.21
37	2			9:52.11
38	2			9:53.06
39	2			9:55.72
40	2			9:57.03
41	1			10:05.10
42	2			10:13.79
	3

Final

The final was started on 30 September at 21:50.^[5]

Rank	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
			8:57.84
			9:02.35
			9:03.30
4			9:05.68
5			9:11.08
6			9:11.27
7			9:13.46
8			9:13.53
9			9:19.93
10			9:23.84
11			9:25.66
12			9:25.80
13			9:29.41
14			9:32.92

Notes and References

1. Web site: Start list.
2. Web site: 3000 Metres Steeplechase Women − Records. IAAF. 26 September 2019.
3. Web site: 3000 Metres Steeplechase Women − Timetable. IAAF. 26 September 2019.
4. Web site: Women's 3000 metres steeplechase − Heats − Summary. IAAF. 27 September 2019.
5. Web site: Final results.