Winfred Yavi of Bahrain emerged winner in the women’s 3000 meters steeplechase event at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Her gold medal-winning performance of 8:52.76 not only put her on top of the podium, but also set a new Olympic record, surpassing the previous mark set by Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Yavi took the lead early in the race and kept a consistent pace throughout.
Uganda’s Olympic champion, Peruth Chemutai, battled Yavi hard in the final lap but settled for silver with a national record time of 8:53.34.
Meanwhile, Kenya’s Faith Cherotich, who had trailed in the early stages, rallied in the closing stretch to win bronze with a personal best time of 8:55.15.
Yavi will receive Ksh 53 million as compensation for her gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, as is customary in Bahrain.
Her success in Paris adds to her long list of accomplishments.
Yavi won the world championship title in the same race earlier this year, firmly establishing herself as one of the world’s best steeplechasers.
Her success in Paris is a crucial milestone in her athletic career, cementing her place as a dominant force in the sport.
Yavi’s victory in Paris not only provides honor to Bahrain, but it also demonstrates the growing strength of the country’s sports program.
The government has made significant investments in sports development, producing some world-class athletes in recent years.
Yavi’s gold medal reflects both the athlete’s and her support team’s hard work and dedication.
During a previous interview, Yavi described how she came to represent Bahrain rather than Kenya as a professional athlete.
She claimed Bahrain gave her top priority after she participated in Kenya’s qualification trials but failed on many occasions.
“The reason why I didn’t get the chance to represent my country is that I used to go for the Kenyan team trials, and I didn’t qualify, so I just got this like the first priority. Getting Bahrain was my first priority, but I was ready to represent my country,” she said.
Yavi remarked that Kenya has many good athletes, but getting the chance to be on the teams is challenging owing to the competition at the trials.
“The competition was stiff; you know in Kenya we have a lot of athletes, and getting the chance to get into the Kenyan athletics team is hard
“You can be part of the team, but you will find them selecting like two people only. If you are in position three or four, you are going to miss,” she said.
Yavi stated that she was prepared to represent Kenya, but she was never given the opportunity, despite her training and hard work.
“I had worked hard and did thorough training, but I missed out. That is how I got the chance to represent Bahrain, and I took it. So, it came like a first priority,” she stated.
