Athletics

Bin bags gold as Jeruto does it for new home Kazakhstan

21 July 2022 - 05:30 By Reuters
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Kazakhstan's Norah Jeruto in action during the final.
Kazakhstan's Norah Jeruto in action during the final.
Image: REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

Norah Jeruto delivered a devastating display of front running to win the world 3,000m steeplechase title in a massive championship record on Wednesday, earning gold for Kazakhstan having switched allegiance from Kenya earlier this year.

Jeruto clocked 8 min 53.02 sec, the third-fastest of all time and more than five seconds better than Beatrice Chepkoech’s 2019 winning mark.

Werkuha Getachew set an Ethiopian record of 8:54.61 for silver, ahead of compatriot Mekides Abebe, who worked really hard to rejoin the lead group and was rewarded with a personal best of 8:56.08.

Bahrain’s Winfred Mutile Yavi, fastest in the world this year, was right in the mix for a medal but had a terrible water jump on the final lap and lost all momentum to finish fourth for the second successive world championships.

China's Bin Feng in action during the final.
China's Bin Feng in action during the final.
Image: REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski

China's Feng Bin put up the performance of her life to stun the women's discus final at the world championships on Wednesday, as Olympic champion American Valerie Allman settled for bronze.

Feng won off of her 69.12m opener, a personal best and her strongest performance of the season by a wide margin, as Croatia's twice Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic secured the silver in a 68.45m second attempt.

With the home crowd urging her on, Allman rocketed the discus across the field on her third throw and she jumped with excitement but it was marked far short of Feng's effort, and she fumbled her final try for 51.41.

The bespectacled, 1.83m-tall Feng whipped across a final throw of 64.62 before thrusting her arms into the air, having completed the massive upset and secured China's first gold in the event since Li Yanfeng in 2011.

Reigning champion Yaime Perez of Cuba could not find her power, finishing seventh with a best throw of 63.07.


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