Olympic champion Winfred Yavi came close to shattering the women’s 3,000m steeplechase world record at the Rome Diamond League meeting on Friday, August 30.
The Bahrain international missed the world mark by just 0.07s with a winning time of eight minutes 44.30 seconds (8:44.30).
Yavi said she was expecting to break the record and would work harder to break it.
The Olympic champion revealed that her goal is to become a double world champion.
“I looked at the time after the race and I went, ‘Oh, no!’. 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 said.
Kenyan Bahraini athlete Winfred Yavi says representing Kenya in athletics was her priority.
Yavi said she entered several trials but didn’t manage to make it due to the competition.
“I used to go to the Kenya team trials, and I didn’t qualify… It was my priority; I was ready to represent my country,”
“The competition was stiff. You know that in Kenya we have a lot of athletes, and to get that chance, you should at least enter the Kenyan team. You can get into the Kenyan team, but you find that they take only two people; if you are number two or number four, you miss out. I was ready, but I never got a chance.” Yavi said.
