Yekaterina Volkova celebrates winning gold in the women's 3000m Steeplechase (© Getty Images)
When the athletics programme kicks off on 15 August, so too will the first round of the Olympic debut for the women’s 3000m Steeplechase. And perhaps fitting as the event’s pioneers, it will be a pair of Russian entries who will start as the favourites.
Russia comes armed with Gulnara Samitova-Galkina, the World record holder at 9:01.59 set four years ago, and World champion Yekaterina Volkova who stormed to an impressive victory in Osaka last year in 9:06.57 to become the second fastest woman in history.
A distant seventh in Osaka last year, Samitova-Galkina very much remains a prominent force after running 9:08.21 to take this year’s Russian title. Underscoring her impact on the event, Samitova-Galkina has produced six of history’s fastest eight performances. Outside of her specialty, the 30-year-old has displayed very fine form, from the 1500m (4:03.31) to the 5000m (14:33.13). She is also expected to contest the latter in Beijing, but her legs will be fresh for the Steeplechase.
But Volkova isn’t far behind. She underscored her fitness this year with an overwhelming 9:18.24 victory in Oslo but has raced sparingly.
Russia’s third entrant is Tatyana Petrova, the Osaka silver medallist, whose 9:09:19 performance there elevated her to the No. 3 position all-time. A Russian sweep is indeed a solid possibility.
But Kenyan Eunice Jepkorir, a distant third in Osaka, has emerged as a serious threat to the Russian triumvirate. A 9:14:52 performer a year ago, the 26-year-old improved the African record to 9:11.18 in Huelva, Spain, in mid June and took another solid victory in Barcelona, clocking 9:18.76 before heading to the Kenyan training camp.
World junior record holder Ruth Bisibori is showing vast improvement year-to-year. Fourth at the World championships a year ago, she improved to 9:18.43 in Oslo in early June before winning the Kenyan trials, and is also expected to be a podium contender.
In all a dozen women have run 9:25 or better, and all could conceivably be in the medal chase. Donna McFarlane, the 2006 Commonwealth bronze medallist, improved the Oceania record to 9:18.35 in Oslo, the fifth fastest performance of the season. Ethiopian Mekdes Bekele has registered a big improvement this season, running a national record 9:20.23. Also notable is the quick conversion of Spanish distance running star Marta Dominguez into a full-fledged steepler. She’s only run the event twice, and is already the national record holder at 9:21.76. Other notables include American Jenny Barringer, who lowered the American record to 9:22.73 in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium last month, and Poland’s Wioletta Frankiewicz, among the most experienced who boasts a 9:17.15 career best form 2006.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
