More than 1500 athletes from 145 teams are set to compete at the World Athletics U20 Championships Cali 22 between 1-6 August.
Here we take a look at the women's and men's hurdles and steeplechase events at the Pascual Guerrero Olympic Stadium. 
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles</h2>
She may be the second youngest in the field, but there&rsquo;s every chance that when the women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles reaches its climax, Jamaica&rsquo;s Kerrica Hill will be first across the line. The 17-year-old was an ultra-impressive winner of the Jamaican U20 title in 12.98 (1.5m/s) last month and, with 11.16 100m flat speed in her armoury, she will be tough to stop if getting things right technically. She will be backed up by teammate Alexis James, who clocked a PB of 13.13 last month to make the team for Cali.
The US challenge will be led by Jalaysiya Smith, who ran her PB of 13.05 (0.5m/s) in the semifinals of the NCAA Championships and who went on to win the US U20 title last month in 13.21. She will be joined by teammate Eddiyah Frye, who clocked 13.26 to finish second to Smith and make the team for Cali last month. Germany&rsquo;s Hawa Jalloh has also been in sparkling form of late, clocking a PB of 13.23 to win her national U20 title last earlier this month and she should also feature.
With next year&rsquo;s World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 starting to loom on the horizon, Hungary could well have a teenage hurdler competing on home turf there, given the progress of Anna Toth, who clocked a national U20 record of 13.23 (0.5m/s) last month and will take her shot at the world&rsquo;s best teenagers in Cali. The British charge will be led by Marli Jessop, who has a best of 13.38 this year. Others to have gone below 13.50 this season are Spain&rsquo;s Paula Blanquer, Britain&rsquo;s Mia McIntosh, Germany&rsquo;s Naomi Krebs and Czech Republic&rsquo;s Ester Bendova. 
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 110m hurdles</h2>
Dutch teenager Matthew Sophia walked away from last year&rsquo;s European U20 Championships with two silver medals &ndash; in the 110m hurdles and 4x100m relay &ndash; but the 18-year-old looks to have a great chance of going one better in Cali if he shows up in the same form he showed earlier this year. The Rotterdam Atletiek athlete tops the world U20 lists via his Dutch U20 record of 13.23 (-0.4m/s) in March, though he has raced little since winning the Carifta Games title in Jamaica in mid-April in 13.74.
The US challenge will be led by national U20 champion Malik Mixon, who won that title with a wind-assisted time of 13.26 (2.6m/s) last month. He will be joined in Cali by teammate TJ Caldwell, who clocked 13.34 at the US U20 Championships and who has run a wind-legal best of 13.40 this year. Czech Republic&rsquo;s Stepan Schubert should also be a big threat, having clocked 13.40 to win his national U20 title last month. Jamaica&rsquo;s Dishaun Lamb, South Africa&rsquo;s Denmar Jacobs and Bahamas&rsquo; Antoine Andrews have all run well below 13.50 this year and should all be in the hunt for a spot in the final. 
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles</h2>
Italy&rsquo;s Alessia Seramondi is the quickest athlete among the 48 entries in the women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles, lowering her PB to 57.29 when winning her national U20 title in 57.29 in Rieti. US U20 champion Akala Garrett is another sure to be in the hunt for medals. She clocked a world U18 lead of 57.46 when winning the US high school title in Eugene last month. She will be backed up by teammate Michaela Rose, the LSU student who juggles the 400m hurdles, where she has a best of 57.62, with the 800m, where she has a best of 2:02.49.
Japan has a strong contender in Moe Matsuoka, the 19-year-old who finished third at her national senior championships last month in 57.57. &nbsp;Jamaica&rsquo;s Oneika McAnnuff has run 57.68 this season and could also be in the medal shake-up, along with Czech Republic&rsquo;s Ester Bendova (57.90) and Italy&rsquo;s Ludovica Cavo (57.94). The Polish duo of Wiktoria Oko and Aleksandra Wolczak should also go close &ndash; both have run 58.03 this year. 
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles</h2>
Turkey&rsquo;s Berke Akcam took gold in this event at the last edition of the World U20 Championships in Nairobi, and his nation has a strong change of retaining that title this year through Ismail Nezir, who lowered his PB to 49.59 last month at the Mediterranean Games. Just one athlete in the field has gone quicker than that &ndash; Roshawn Clarke of Jamaica, who set his PB of 49.39 when winning his national U20 title in Kingston last month, while his teammate Antonio Forbes shouldn&rsquo;t be far away given he has run 50.48 this year.
Slovenia&rsquo;s Matic Ian Gucek finished fifth in last year&rsquo;s world U20 final and the 18-year-old will be looking to get on the podium here, which he looks capable of doing after his national U20 record of 49.72 to win the Slovenian senior title last month.
Yeral Nunez of Dominican Republic is another who has been in fine form, setting a national U20 record of 50.07 last month. The Asian challenge is led by Japan&rsquo;s Daiki Ogawa, who has run 50.50 this year, and he will be backed up by compatriot Sojiro Moritaka, who has run 50.71. Qatar&rsquo;s Ismail Doudai Abakar is another worthy of respect &ndash; a 50.62 athlete this season. 
<h2>Women&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase</h2>
Ethiopia&rsquo;s rise in the steeplechase has been moving at a swift pace in recent years and they have a strong contender for the world U20 champion in Sembo Almayew. The 17-year-old has been in sparkling form this season, finishing second at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Paris in 9:09.19 last month before finishing fifth in her heat at the World Championships in Oregon. She will be joined in Cali by Meseret Yeshaneh, who has a best of 9:33.34.
Kenya, unsurprisingly, will likely provide the stiffest opposition in the event they historically ruled like no other. Their challenge will be led by Faith Cherotich, the 18-year-old who won bronze at the last edition of these championships in Nairobi and who clocked a noteworthy 9:12.04 at altitude in the Kenyan capital back in May. She will be joined in Cali by teammate Pamela Kosgei, who has run 9:54.20 this year.
The European challenge will be led by Spain&rsquo;s Marta Serrano, who was sixth in the last world U20 final in Nairobi and who lowered her PB to 9:48.64 last month.
Morocco&rsquo;s Khadija Ennasri has run 10:00.49 this year, while Tunisia&rsquo;s Rihab Dhahri has run 10:03.15. Peru&rsquo;s Veronica Huacasi, Hungary&rsquo;s Greta Varga and Germany&rsquo;s Carolin Hinrichs have all run below 10:15 and will be a targeting a place in the final at the very least.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<h2>Men&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase</h2>
Morocco has the current world and Olympic champion in the men&rsquo;s steeplechase in Soufiane El Bakkali, and in Salaheddine Ben Yazide the nation has an athlete who could one day follow in his footsteps. The 19-year-old tops the world U20 lists with the 8:19.63 he ran at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Rabat back in June and Yazide gained some top-level experience at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 earlier this month, finishing 13th in the heats. Ethiopia&rsquo;s Samuel Firewu is just behind him on the world U20 lists via the 8:19.82 he ran in Ostrava back in May and he backed that up with a fifth-place finish at the African Championships last month. He will be joined by compatriot Samuel Duguna, who has a best of 8:27.40 this season.
Kenya has long proven tough to stop in the hunt for steeplechase medals and their challenge will be led in Cali by Emmanuel Wafula, who has run 8:42.25 this season, and Haron Kibet, who has run 8:43.82.
Uganda has a pair of strong entrants in Elphas Toroitich Ndiwa and Leonard Chemutai, who have run 8:37.3 and 8:40.6 respectively this year, while the US challenge is led by Bryce Lentz who has run 8:39.73. Others to look out for include Japanese duo Ryotaro Onuma and Asahi Kuroda, along with Algeria&rsquo;s Abderrahmane Daoud &ndash; all three have all dipped below 8:50 this year.&nbsp;
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics

World Athletics U20 Championships

A look at the 100m hurdles, 110m hurdles, 400m hurdles and 3000m steeplechase

WU20 Cali 22 preview: hurdles and steeplechase

Back at the place where she had become the third-fastest women&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechaser of all time, Kazakhstan&rsquo;s Norah Jeruto graduated from world U18 champion to senior world champion, leading a historic race at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22.
The 26-year-old clocked 8:53.65 at Hayward Field last year and emulated that on Wednesday (20), running&nbsp;a championship record of 8:53.02 to consolidate her No.3 spot on the all-time list.
In the first women's 3000m steeplechase race in history where the top three all dipped under nine minutes, Jeruto was followed over the finish line by Ethiopia&rsquo;s African champion Werkuha Getachew in a 8:54.61 national record and Olympic fourth-place finisher Mekides Abebe in a PB of 8:56.08. Those times move them to fourth and fifth respectively behind Jeruto on the world all-time list.
It's Jeruto&rsquo;s first senior global gold and the first ever title for Kazakhstan at the World Athletics Championships.
It was in Lille in 2011 that Jeruto won the world U18 2000m steeplechase title for Kenya. In the process of switching her allegiance to Kazakhstan last year, she missed the Olympic Games but returned to international competition in superb style in Oregon.
Bahrain&rsquo;s 2019 world fourth-placer Winfred Yavi and Jeruto had gone straight to the front of a strong field and stretched it out early on. Jeruto led through the first kilometre in 2:57.72, followed by Yavi and athletes including USA&rsquo;s 2017 world champion Emma Coburn, Uganda&rsquo;s Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai, Getachew and Abebe.
The race looked to be a battle between Jeruto, Yavi and Getachew with three laps to go and Jeruto narrowly maintained her place at the front through 2000m, passed in 5:58.29.
Jetuto was a couple of strides ahead with two laps remaining but the leading trio still hadn&rsquo;t shaken Abebe and the 21-year-old closed the gap, sitting in third behind Yavi and Jeruto at the bell.
Yavi pushed ahead but Jeruto fought back and dealt best with the final water jump. That helped her to create a gap on her rivals and when she neatly cleared the final barrier she was away, speading her arms wide in celebration as she reached the finish line.
&ldquo;At the start line I was afraid of my friends from Ethiopia,&rdquo; said the winner. &ldquo;They are also champions like me, so I was scared of them. I tried my best to win the race and it was not easy.
&ldquo;I decided to be at the front because I like to control the race, to make sure I can fight for medals.&rdquo;
And not just any medal. She fought for the gold and celebrated with her fellow medallists by leaping into the water jump.
Jeruto was joined in Oregon by her sister, 2012 world U20 champion Daisy Jepkemei, who ran 9:23.07 to finish sixth in her steeplechase heat.
"I have to say thank you to my father and mother, my coach and opponents, and my manager and my sister," added Jeruto. "She missed out on qualifying for the final but I want to tell her that she is the next champion."
Athletes from six different nations have now won women&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase gold at the World Athletics Championships, with Jeruto and&nbsp;Jepkemei being Kazakhstan&rsquo;s first ever entrants in this event on this stage.
In a fast race, two national records were set further down the field. Behind Yavi, who ran 9:01.31 for fourth, Luiza Gega broke the Albanian record with 9:10.04 for fifth, while USA&rsquo;s Olympic silver medallist Courtney Frerichs was sixth in 9:10.59. Securing seventh was Aimee Pratt in a British record of 9:15.64, one place ahead of Coburn in 9:16.49.
A fast final had been expected after Jeruto made a strong statement in the heats, running 9:01.54 for what was then the second-quickest ever time at the World Championships, including finals. The previous quickest ever heat had been 9:17.67.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
&nbsp;
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center;" colspan="3">WOMEN'S 3000m STEEPLECHASE MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968;">Norah Jeruto 🇰🇿 KAZ</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968;">8:53.02 CR, NR</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9;">Werkuha Getachew 🇪🇹 ETH</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9;">8:54.61 NR</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e;">Mekides Abebe 🇪🇹 ETH</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e;">8:56.08 PB</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-championships/oregon22/results/women/3000-metres-steeplechase/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

World Athletics Championships, Oregon 2022

Kazakhstan’s Norah Jeruto graduates from world U18 champion to senior world champion

Jeruto leads fast final, breaking championship record to win world steeplechase gold

After claiming Olympic gold in Tokyo last year, Soufiane El Bakkali can now add the title of world champion to his resume.
Timing his kick to perfection in a slow, tactical race, the Moroccan surged to the lead around the final bend and accelerated down the straight to capture gold in the men&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase on Monday evening (18) at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22.
The victory gave the 26-year-old El Bakkali a complete set of World Championships medals, adding to the silver he won in London in 2017 and bronze in Doha in 2019.
&ldquo;I am very happy to win my first world title after the Olympic gold,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The race was very difficult; it was very tactical and slow. I positioned myself well on the last lap. I am very strong in the 400m and it worked out for me.&rdquo;
El Bakkali&rsquo;s win in 8:25.13 &ndash; the slowest time in the history of the championships &ndash; snapped Kenya&rsquo;s streak of seven consecutive world titles in the event, including Conseslus Kipruto&rsquo;s run of two straight championships.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Lamecha Girma won the silver for the second straight championships in 8:26.01, while Kipruto settled for the bronze this time in 8:27.92. It was the first time a Kenyan has finished out of the top two since 1991.
Kenya had dominated the event for so long, having won 13 of the past 15 titles. The only two previous times Kenya did not claim the title came in 2003 and 2005 when Saif Saaeed Shaheen, a Kenyan-born athlete running for Qatar, claimed the gold.
On a windy night at Hayward Field, El Bakkali extended his mastery over Girma, beating him for the seventh time in eight meetings. The race was similar to the Olympic final in Tokyo, where the Moroccan outkicked the Ethiopian on the final lap.
A potential disaster was fortunately averted on the opening lap. A camera operator, who was recording the women&rsquo;s triple jump final on the infield, stepped on to the track on the home straight and, with his back to the runners, was completely oblivious to the 15 runners who were heading in his direction. Thankfully all of the finalists successfully navigated their way around him without incident.
El Bakkali bided his time in the pack as the lead exchanged hands, with Girma, Kipruto, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Getnet Walle and Eritrea&rsquo;s Yemane Haileselassie taking turns at the front. El Bakkali took off with just under 200 metres to go, blowing past the field and running away to the finish.
On his victory lap, El Bakkali took a celebratory plunge into the water jump.
It was only the Moroccan&rsquo;s second trip to the United States, having competed here at the World U20 Championships in 2014.
&ldquo;That was my first international experience,&rdquo; said El Bakkali, who finished fourth on that occasion. &ldquo;I return eight years later as a champion."
A disappointed Girma said he ran the wrong race.
&ldquo;The pace was very slow today,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;My tactic did not work and that cost me the gold. I was trying to change the tactic but the pace limited me very much. I will go for gold next year and my training is starting from now on.&rdquo;
Wale finished fourth and Kenya&rsquo;s Abraham Kibiwot fifth in 8:28.68 and 8:28.95, respectively. Evan Jager of the US, a medallist at the 2016 Olympics and 2017 World Championships, finished sixth in 8:29.08.
Steve Wilson for World Athletics
&nbsp;
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center;" colspan="3">MEN'S 3000m STEEPLECHASE MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968;">Soufiane El Bakkali 🇲🇦 MAR</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968;">8:25.13</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9;">Lamecha Girma 🇪🇹 ETH</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9;">8:26.01</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e;">Conseslus Kipruto 🇰🇪 KEN</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e;">8:27.92</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-championships/oregon22/results/men/3000-metres-steeplechase/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

The same three medallists from 2019 but in reverse order

Olympic champion El Bakkali storms to world steeplechase gold in Oregon

<h2>Women's 3000m steeplechase</h2>
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-championships/oregon22/timetable/bydiscipline/women/3000-metres-steeplechase" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Timetable</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/world-rankings/3000msc/women?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;rankDate=2022-06-26&amp;limitByCountry=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/toplists/middle-long/3000-metres-steeplechase/outdoor/women/senior/2022?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 world list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/middle-long/3000-metres-steeplechase/outdoor/women/senior?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true&amp;firstDay=1900-01-01&amp;lastDay=2022-07-06" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/disciplines/middlelong/3000-metres-steeplechase" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how it works</a>
In the relatively brief history of this event at the World Athletics Championships, with eight editions since 2005, five different nations have struck gold in the women&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase and there looks a huge chance for a sixth to join that list in Oregon.&nbsp;
Bahrain and Kazakhstan, neither of which has ever won a World Championships medal in this event, look to hold the two aces in the women&rsquo;s steeplechase pack in Winfred Mutile Yavi and Norah Jeruto.&nbsp;
The Kenyan-born duo have been in sparkling form so far this season, and they were a class apart when taking on most of their main rivals at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Eugene in May. Jeruto proved the stronger, clocking a world lead of 8:57.97 to beat Yavi (8:58.71).&nbsp;
Before that, Jeruto had clocked a highly impressive 9:04.95 at altitude in Nairobi. The 26-year-old has never won a global medal at senior level but she was the world U18 champion back in 2011. She missed last year&rsquo;s Tokyo Olympics while in the process of transferring allegiance from Kenya to Kazakhstan, but weeks after the Games she moved to third on the world all-time list with her 8:53.65 in Eugene.&nbsp;
Hayward Field is a stadium that clearly brings out the best in her, but can she produce the same magic in the absence of pacemakers?&nbsp;
Yavi will certainly be hoping to turn the tables and earn her first global medal, having finished eighth in the world final in 2017, fourth in 2019 and 10th in last year&rsquo;s Olympic final. She was ultra-impressive in Paris a few weeks ago when bettering Jeruto&rsquo;s world lead with her winning time of 8:56.55.&nbsp;
Ethiopia&rsquo;s best result in the women&rsquo;s steeplechase at these championships was the bronze won by Sofia Assefa in 2013 but in Mekides Abebe, the 20-year-old who was fourth in the Olympic final last year, they have an athlete capable of bettering that. She finished third to Jeruto and Yavi in Eugene in May in 9:03.26.&nbsp;
Just behind her there was an athlete who we know can handle the white-hot heat of a major championship: Peruth Chemutai. Uganda won gold when this event was first staged at the World Championships in 2005 through&nbsp;Dorcus Inzikuru but they haven&rsquo;t reached the podium since, although Chemutai looks capable of fixing that.&nbsp;The 23-year-old turned in the run of her life to win Olympic gold in Tokyo last year in a national record of 9:01.45 and she finished a close fourth behind her chief rivals in Eugene earlier in the year in 9:05.54. &nbsp; 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/62c955d3fc71dad161ff1ea7.jpg" alt="Peruth Chemutai and Emma Coburn at the World Athletics Championships Doha 2019" />
Peruth Chemutai and Emma Coburn at the World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
Werkuha Getachew and Sembo Almayew are two Ethiopians worthy of much respect. Getachew won the African title last month and finished fifth in Eugene in May in a PB of 9:07.81, while 17-year-old Almayew was a late call-up to the national team and this should be the first of many appearances on the global stage. She clocked a PB of 9:09.19 to finish second to Yavi last month in Paris.
Kenya has claimed three of the last four women&rsquo;s steeplechase titles at the World Championships and their chances here will be carried by Celliphine Chespol, Jackline Chepkoech, Beatrice Chepkoech and Purity Kirui.
Beatrice Chepkoech&nbsp;gains an entry as defending world champion, though it&rsquo;s difficult to assess her current form of the world record-holder as she has run the event just once this year, clocking 9:28.34 at altitude to win in Nairobi in April, which she followed up with a below-par 8:50.74 3000m run in Doha in May.&nbsp;
Chespol set a world U20 record of 8:58.78 back in 2017 and is the quickest of the Kenyan quartet this year with the 9:10.17 she ran in Eugene, but she was beaten comprehensively by Jackline Chepkoech at their national trials.&nbsp;
On home soil, the US trio of Emma Coburn, Courtney Frerichs and Courtney Wayment are sure to put up a strong showing. Coburn, the 2017 world champion, endured bitter disappointment in Tokyo last year but she looked back to her best self when winning her 10th US title last month in 9:10.63, and history has shown the 31-year-old always finds an extra gear when it comes to major championships. She won Olympic bronze in 2016, World Championships gold in 2017 and World Championships silver in 2019.&nbsp;
Following Coburn home there was Wayment, the reigning NCAA champion who clocked a PB of 9:12.10 in that race. Back in third was Frerichs, who clocked 9:16.18 and whose form is steadily coming to the boil &ndash; once again &ndash; for when it matters most.&nbsp;
The 29-year-old went to Tokyo last year with a season&rsquo;s best of 9:11.79 before producing a stunning effort to win Olympic silver in 9:04.79 and as a world silver medallist in 2017, she has the experience to again be in the mix at the front end.
&nbsp;
<h2>Men's 3000m steeplechase</h2>
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-championships/oregon22/timetable/bydiscipline/men/3000-metres-steeplechase" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Timetable</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/world-rankings/3000msc/men?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;rankDate=2022-06-26&amp;limitByCountry=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/toplists/middle-long/3000-metres-steeplechase/outdoor/men/senior/2022?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 world list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/middle-long/3000-metres-steeplechase/outdoor/men/senior?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true&amp;firstDay=1900-01-01&amp;lastDay=2022-07-06" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/disciplines/middlelong/3000-metres-steeplechase" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how it works</a>
If the form on the circuit is to be believed &ndash; and replicated on this bigger stage &ndash; then the men&rsquo;s steeplechase final in Oregon on 18 July should come down to a two-man battle for gold between Ethiopia&rsquo;s Lamecha Girma and Morocco&rsquo;s Soufiane El Bakkali.&nbsp;
But all athletics fans know there&rsquo;s a world of difference between those paced races and the cagey, cat-and-mouse affairs that tend to unfold in major championship finals.
The fate of the medals in the men&rsquo;s steeplechase could hinge on what tactics are employed. If it&rsquo;s an eight-minute final, or slightly below that, then it will come as a huge shock if it&rsquo;s not &ndash; as it was at the Tokyo Olympics &ndash; Girma and El Bakkali duking it out for gold.&nbsp;
But the slower the race goes, the more they would be at risk from a pair of big kickers from Kenya: Conseslus Kipruto and Benjamin Kigen.&nbsp;
Historically, this is a title the Kenyans have defended as if their lives depend on it. Since 1991, and the first of Moses Kiptanui&rsquo;s three world titles, Kenya has won 13 of the 15 men&rsquo;s steeplechase gold medals, the two exceptions being 2003 and 2005, when Saif Saaeed Shaheen &ndash; a Kenyan-born athlete running for Qatar &ndash; claimed gold.&nbsp;
Kipruto is the defending champion, and while his form this season has been unspectacular, he has a blueprint for succeeding off such a build-up.&nbsp;
In 2019 he went to the Doha World Championships with a season&rsquo;s best of just 8:13.75 as he returned from a stress fracture in his ankle, but in the final he clocked 8:01.35 to deny Girma gold in a photo finish. This year he has a best of 8:08.76, which placed him fourth in Rome last month, nine seconds behind Girma, before he coasted to third place at the Kenyan trials, choosing not to race for the win.
He'll be joined in Eugene by Kigen and compatriots Leonard Bett and Abraham Kibiwott. Kibiwott is the quickest of that trio this year, clocking 8:06.73 to finish second in Rome, but Kigen &ndash; the Olympic bronze medallist in Tokyo &ndash; is the best kicker and would be highly dangerous in a slow race.&nbsp;
Girma, though, seems unlikely to let that happen. The Ethiopian ensured an honest pace in last year&rsquo;s Olympic final and the 21-year-old has shown he can run under eight minutes almost at his leisure, dipping under that barrier three times in a 10-day spell earlier in the season.&nbsp;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/51c80baf-3e9e-4c8d-bf3f-f47d022db6dc.jpg" alt="Lamecha Girma in the steeplechase at the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019" />
Lamecha Girma in the steeplechase at the World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 (&copy; AFP / Getty Images)
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But hopes of a first Ethiopian gold should be kept in check due to one particular statistic: Girma has raced El Bakkali seven times in his career and has only beaten him once &ndash; in the 2019 world final.&nbsp;
As such, El Bakkali will start as the heavy favourite. The 26-year-old Moroccan possesses all the attributes needed for success here: proficient hurdling, oceans of endurance and &ndash; critically &ndash; a key change of gears in the home straight. He outkicked Girma in Tokyo last year to win Olympic gold and did the same in Doha and Rabat this year, setting the world lead of 7:58.28 in the latter event.&nbsp;
He's undoubtedly the current superman of the steeplechase, but if there is a kryptonite that could take him down then it&rsquo;s a fully fit Kipruto.&nbsp;
The Kenyan has an 11-8 record against El Bakkali in this event, but it&rsquo;s worth noting they&rsquo;ve met five times in championship settings. The current tally? 5-0 to Kipruto. The Kenyan would pose a huge threat if still in touch with the leaders at the bell, but expect Girma, in particular, to do everything possible to run his rivals ragged long before then.&nbsp;
Girma will be joined by compatriots Hailemariyam Amare and Getnet Wale so he should have some assistance in keeping the pace strong, just as it was in Tokyo. Wale is an 8:05.21 athlete at his best and has wicked flat speed, with a 7:24.98 indoor 3000m to his name. He finished third in Rome earlier this year in 8:06.74 and fourth in both the Olympic final in Tokyo and the 2019 world final in Doha. Can he finally reach a global senior podium here? He&rsquo;ll need to reach a new level if so. His teammate Amare will have similar goals, having clocked a PB of 8:06.29 in Rabat before doing the steeplechase-5000m double at the African Championships last month.&nbsp;
Evan Jager &ndash; the 2016 Olympic and 2017 World Championships medallist who trains in Portland, a two-hour drive north of Eugene &ndash; is sure to have huge support from the home crowd at his first major championship for five years. Since then Jager has been through a nightmare run of injuries, but he showed his class and resilience by clocking 8:17.29 to qualify at the US Championships last month, finishing second to Hillary Bor.&nbsp;
Bor was seventh in the Olympic final in 2016 and eighth in the world final in 2019 and with a best this year of 8:12.19, he&rsquo;ll be hopeful of improving on those finishes in front of a home crowd that loves its distance running.&nbsp;
The European charge will be led by Italy&rsquo;s Ahmed Abdelwahed, who lowered his PB to 8:10.29 when finishing sixth in Rome, while there is an intriguing presence from India in the event through Avinash Mukund Sable, who lowered his national record to 8:12.48 in Rabat. The 27-year-old was a silver medallist at the Asian Championships in 2019.
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics

Expected highlights in the women's and men's 3000m steeplechase

WCH Oregon22 preview: 3000m steeplechase

The Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah was in pandemonium tonight as local hero Soufiane El Bakkali, Morocco&rsquo;s golden champion of the Tokyo Olympics, won the steeplechase in a meeting record and world lead of 7:58.28 at the Meeting International Mohammed VI d'Athletisme de Rabat on Sunday (5).
Earlier the large crowd, relishing the return of the Wanda Diamond League to this arena for the first time in three years, had voiced huge dismay as Norway&rsquo;s Olympic 400m hurdles champion and world record-holder Karsten Warholm, making his keenly anticipated 2022 debut, pulled up and held his right hamstring after clearing the first hurdle.
After that downswing, the final upswing created such excitement that El Bakkali, having once more defeated the man he beat to gold in Tokyo &ndash; Ethiopia&rsquo;s Lamecha Girma &ndash; was mobbed by youngsters as he attempted to leave the arena.
He had tracked Girma all the way before choosing his moment, always appearing in control of his fortunes. It was a huge marker for his prospects of adding world gold this summer to the silver and bronze he already owns.
Girma also dipped under eight minutes, clocking 7:59.24, with his compatriot Hailemariyam Tegegn, who had kept in touch with the two leaders until the final lap, third in a personal best of 8:06.29.
Behind him, the revived and recuperated 2016 Olympic champion Conseslus Kipruto took fourth place in 8:12.47, with India&rsquo;s Avinash Mukund Sable fifth in a national record of 8:12.48. A momentous race.
For Warholm, however, the night ended swiftly and unexpectedly.
On the eve of the meeting the Norwegian had commented: &ldquo;There&rsquo;s always a lot of nerves when it comes to the season starter because you know you have been putting in a lot of training but you don&rsquo;t know what to expect.&rdquo; True enough. 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/629d227f263094c40bc17507.jpg" alt="Khallifah Rosser in the 400m hurdles in Rabat" />
Khallifah Rosser in the 400m hurdles in Rabat (&copy; Diamond League / Matt Quine)
</div>
 At the start of a sequence he was hoping would take him smoothly on to a third world title and, perhaps, an even faster time than his monumental world record of 45.94, the amiable 26-year-old was suddenly faced with the downside of this sporting life.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s probably a cramp in my hamstring &ndash; my leg seized up,&rdquo; Warholm said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not fun to stop like this. It&rsquo;s not something I expected, I felt very, very good. So we will just have to see what is happening.&rdquo;
As the world and Olympic champion was convening despondently on the first bend with his long-time coach Leif Olav Alnes, the departed field arrived at the line, with Khallifah Rosser crossing first in a meeting record of 48.25 from Estonia&rsquo;s Rasmus Magi, who clocked 48.73.
So Alison dos Santos, the 21-year-old Brazilian who took Olympic bronze last year, looks like he might be safe for a while yet at the top of this year&rsquo;s world list with the 47.23 he clocked at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Eugene.
A third meeting record was set in the women&rsquo;s 100m.
Jamaica&rsquo;s double Olympic 100m and 200m champion Elaine Thompson-Herah, who had maintained on the eve of competition that she was &ldquo;not in the best shape&rdquo; nevertheless delivered a smooth performance that brought her victory in 10.83.
Marie-Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast was second in 11.04, from Natasha Morrison of Jamaica, who clocked 11.22. 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/629d222e263094c40bc17501.jpg" alt="Elaine Thompson-Herah in the 100m in Rabat" />
Elaine Thompson-Herah in the 100m in Rabat (&copy; Diamond League / Matt Quine)
</div>
<h2>&nbsp;</h2>
<h2>Ceh and Tentoglou maintain momentum</h2>
Kristjan Ceh retained his current hero status in the men&rsquo;s discus. The 22-year-old Slovenian, who retains his glasses during competition, has something of the look of Clark Kent &ndash; but he is currently throwing like Superman.
Having set a Diamond League and Slovenian record of 71.27m in Birmingham, improving on his previous PB of 68.75m and moving up to 10th on the all-time list, Ceh repeated the trick with a massive effort of 69.42m.
That took over the lead from Sweden&rsquo;s Olympic and world champion Daniel Stahl, who had managed 67.16m in the previous round. And after Ceh improved still further to 69.68m in the final round, Stahl could only muster 62.53m.
Australia&rsquo;s Matthew Denny also excelled himself on the night, taking third place with a personal best of 67.07m.
Greece&rsquo;s Olympic long jump gold medallist Miltiadis Tentoglou made good on his vow to &ldquo;defend the long jump pride&rdquo; by beating decathlete Simon Ehammer of Switzerland, who cleared a world-leading 8.45m at last weekend&rsquo;s combined events competition in G&ouml;tzis. 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/629d22a5263094c40bc1750a.jpg" alt="Miltiadis Tentoglou in the long jump in Rabat" />
Miltiadis Tentoglou in the long jump in Rabat (&copy; Diamond League / Matt Quine)
</div>
 While Tentoglou, who added another gold to his collection in March at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade, carried the day with his fourth-round effort of 8.27m, the Swiss still rides high.
Ehammer &ndash; reported to be contemplating doubling up at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 &ndash; had taken the lead with his third-round distance of 8.11m.
He improved that to 8.13m in the final round after Tentoglou, who had thrown his arms up in frustration as a handsome-looking fifth attempt was ruled out, had failed to register a final distance.
Olympic bronze medallist Maykel Masso of Cuba was third with 8.08m.
<h2>Convincing 1500m wins for Meshesha and Wightman</h2>
Ethiopia dominated the women&rsquo;s 1500m, with Hirut Meshesha, who was five metres clear when the second of the two pacers stepped away with 500 metres remaining, held on to her lead despite the challenge around the final bend of Freweyni Hailu, who moved out into lane two to try to move past her compatriot but lacked the strength to make any further impression.
Meshesha crossed in a personal best of 3:57.30, with the 21-year-old Hailu second in 3:58.18 and Axumawit Embaye taking third place in 3:58.80 ahead of Australia&rsquo;s Georgia Griffith, who gamely kept in touch with the lead throughout and was rewarded with a personal best of 4:00.16. 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/629d2259263094c40bc17504.jpg" alt="Hirut Meshesha wins the 1500m in Rabat" />
Hirut Meshesha wins the 1500m in Rabat (&copy; Diamond League / Matt Quine)
</div>
 Britain&rsquo;s Jake Wightman ran a perfectly judged race to win the men&rsquo;s 1500m in 3:32.62 ahead of his compatriot, fellow Olympic finalist and namesake Jake Heyward, who clocked 3:33.54.
Wightman made his move on the final lap, moving clear down the home straight to finish in composed fashion, with home athlete Abellatif Sadiki finishing strongly to take third place in 3:33.93 as Spain&rsquo;s Mohamed Katir, a front-runner until the final 100 metres, falling all the way back to seventh place.
Kenya&rsquo;s 17-year-old Emmanuel Wanyonyi, the world U20 800m champion, followed up his victory in Ostrava on Wednesday with another assured display that belied his age, maintaining himself within striking distance of the lead throughout and finishing strongest in 1:45.47.
Botswana&rsquo;s fast-finishing 2012 Olympic silver medallist Nijel Amos was second in 1:45.66 with France&rsquo;s Gabriel Tual striving hugely for third place in 1:45.71.
Kenya&rsquo;s Collins Kipruto dropped away to fourth over the final 50 metres, but his compatriots Emmanuel Korir and Ferguson Rotich, the respective Olympic gold and silver medallists, had an even less happy time in warm but blustery conditions, finishing eighth and 10th respectively in 1:46.93 and 1:47.72.
Like the men&rsquo;s steeplechase, the women&rsquo;s 3000m produced sustained competition as Kenya&rsquo;s Mercy Cherono and European indoor champion Amy-Eloise Markovc battled all the way down the finishing straight before the Kenyan edged home in 8:40.29, 0.03 clear.
Cherono had tracked the US-based Briton round the final bend before striking for home, but Markovc resolutely refused to let any light develop between them and was rewarded with a personal best of 8:40.32, with Ethiopian teenager Medina Eisa third in 8:41.42.
Three years after making his international debut at this meeting &ndash; where he finished fourth in 20.51 &ndash; Kenny Bednarek returned as the Olympic 200m silver medallist, and he gave a performance in keeping with that standing as he won in 20.21 from lane seven, comfortably clear of South Africa&rsquo;s Luxolo Adams, who clocked 20.35.
The women&rsquo;s 400m saw the Dominican Republic&rsquo;s Olympic silver medallist and world leader Marileidy Paulino finishing two metres clear in 50.10, with Sada Williams of Barbados second in 50.74 and Stephenie Ann McPherson of Jamaica third in 51.37.
<h2>Jumps victories for Morris, Mahuchikh and Lafond</h2>
Sandi Morris, set on following successive world pole vault silvers with gold in the home setting of Eugene, Oregon this summer, maintained her winning form with a confident display.
By contrast, her training partner Katie Nageotte, the Olympic champion, failed to clear her opening height of 4.30m. Morris, meanwhile, did not enter the competition until 4.55m, clearing at the second attempt, and a first-time clearance at 4.65m confirmed victory. 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/629d233f263094c40bc1750d.jpg" alt="Triple jump winner Thea Lafond in Rabat" />
Triple jump winner Thea Lafond in Rabat (&copy; Diamond League / Matt Quine)
</div>
 Australia&rsquo;s Nina Kennedy was also clear first time at 4.65m, despite making 4.55m on her third attempt, but then had to retire. Greece&rsquo;s 2016 Olympic champion Katerina Stefanidi was third, clearing 4.55m first time but then being unable to make 4.65m.
Ukraine&rsquo;s Olympic bronze medallist and world silver medal-winning high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who has already earned world indoor gold this year, maintained her winning momentum with a first-time clearance at 1.96m before skipping up to take three unsuccessful attempts at 2.01m.
Like her two compatriots Iryna Gerashchenko and Yuliya Levchenko, the 20-year-old was sporting a badge pinned to her vest in support of Ukraine&rsquo;s resistance to the Russian invasion.
Gerashchenko cleared 1.93m and took second place on countback ahead of Australia&rsquo;s Olympic silver medallist Nicola Olsylagers &ndash; formerly McDermott &ndash; and Kazakhstan&rsquo;s Nadezhda Dubovitskaya.
Thea Lafond of Dominica won the women&rsquo;s triple jump with a fifth-round effort of 14.46m, with Shanieka Ricketts of Jamaica second with 14.43m and Slovenia&rsquo;s Neja Filipic third, a centimetre behind.
Mike Rowbottom for World Athletics

World and Olympic 400m hurdles champion Karsten Warholm pulls up after the first barrier

El Bakkali rocks Rabat with world-leading steeplechase victory

A look back at the key moments of 2021 in the middle and long distance events

2021 review: middle and long distance

As the countdown to the World Athletics Awards 2021 continues, we shine a spotlight on the five women and five men who have been nominated for this year&rsquo;s Rising Star awards.
The winners will be selected by an international panel of experts and be announced live at the World Athletics Awards 2021 on 1 December.
&nbsp;
<h2>Zerfe Wondemagegn</h2>
Having already represented Ethiopia at the senior World Championships in 2019 at the age of 16, steeplechase specialist Zerfe Wondemagegn made a big step up in class in 2021.
The Ethiopian Olympic Trials in Hengelo was her first international race of the season, but she showed no signs of rustiness as she booked her place on the national team with a third-place finish. Her clocking of 9:16.95 also broke the Ethiopian U20 record and elevated her to fourth on the world U20 all-time list. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/619783968c2f740e0c96c95c.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 She didn&rsquo;t race again over the barriers until the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Despite being the youngest of all 41 entrants in the steeplechase, Wondemagegn advanced through the heats and reached the final. Up against the best steeplechasers in the world, Wondemagegn finished eighth in 9:16.41, once again breaking the national U20 record and consolidating her position on the world U20 all-time list.
She was back on national duty just two weeks later at the World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 21, where she earned the silver medal behind Kenya&rsquo;s Jackline Chepkoech.
&nbsp;
<h2>Sasha Zhoya</h2>
French youngster Sasha Zhoya is one of the most all-round gifted athletes on the planet, but this year he focused almost exclusively on the sprint hurdles this year &ndash; and it more than paid off.
He opened his season with a swift 13.38 clocking into a -3.8m/s headwind, hinting that much more was to come. It wasn&rsquo;t long before he improved on that, as six days later he ran 13.02 on his way to winning the French U20 title, elevating him to fourth on the world U20 list.
His momentum continued at the European U20 Championships in Tallinn, where he ran 12.98 in the semifinals. His time was faster than the official world U20 record, but the 2.4m/s following wind meant it wasn&rsquo;t valid for record purposes. One day later, he won the gold medal in a championship record of 13.05. 
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gLTlyHFdHRU" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
 Zhoya capped his season at the World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 21. After breezing through his heat in 13.12, he broke the world U20 record in the semifinals with 12.93. He went much quicker in the final the next day, stopping the clock at a sensational 12.72 (1.0m/s) &ndash; the fastest time ever recorded for the 110m hurdles at any age level and in any conditions.
&ldquo;Now all I need to do is to replicate my junior performance to the senior category as I focus on transiting into the seniors,&rdquo; he said after his triumph in the Kenyan capital. &ldquo;I am ready to tackle all the senior competitions in 2022, including the World Championships in Oregon.&rdquo;

We focus on the five women and five men who have been nominated for this year’s Rising Star awards.

Spotlight on Rising Stars: Zerfe Wondemagegn and Sasha Zhoya

There is something of the Usain Bolt about Soufiane El Bakkali.
Standing on the start line, or clipping around the track in that smooth, upright style of his, the 1.88m (6ft 2in) tall steeplechaser appears to be, if not quite fully head and shoulders above the opposition, then somewhere approaching it.
The 25-year-old Moroccan proved to be so in metaphorical terms when it came to the crunch in the men&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase final on the sodden Tokyo Olympic Stadium track.&nbsp;
After the storm, El Bakkali was a picture of calm as he bided his time, gathering himself for the burst round the final bend that took him clear of Ethiopia&rsquo;s Lamecha Girma for his country&rsquo;s first Olympic track and field gold since Hicham El Guerrouj&rsquo;s memorable 1500m-5000m double in Athens 17 long years ago.
Girma took Ethiopia&rsquo;s first Olympic men&rsquo;s steeplechase medal and Benjamin Kigen claimed bronze for Kenya. It was Kenya&rsquo;s 22nd&nbsp;medal in the event but scant consolation for the nation that has monopolised male steeplechasing at the Games. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61114e300b50f0d9adf58a78.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 Indeed, you have to track all of the way back to the last Olympics held in Japan&rsquo;s capital city &ndash; back to 1964 &ndash; to find the last time that Kenya failed to bring a Midas touch to bear in the men&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase.
Yes, the brilliant, half-Scottish Bronislaw Malinowski won gold for Poland ahead of the great Tanzanian middle distance man Filbert Bayi in Moscow in 1980, and Sweden&rsquo;s&nbsp;Anders Garderud&nbsp;did likewise ahead of Malinowski in Montreal in 1976. But those were both Games that were boycotted by Kenya.
Kenya made their debut in the 3000m steeplechase in Tokyo in 1964. Their sole representative, Benjamin Kogo, finished fifth in his heat and failed to advance. Gaston Roelants of Belgium won the final, ahead of Britain&rsquo;s Maurice Herriott.
Since then, boycotts apart, it has &ndash; or had &ndash; been gold all the way for Kenya: Amos Biwott (1968), Kip Keino (1972), Julius Korir (1984), Julius Kariuki (1984), Matthew Birir (1992), Joseph Keter (1996), Reuben Kosgei (2000), Ezekiel Kemboi (2004), Brimin Kipruto (2008), Kemboi again (2012) and Conselsus Kipruto (2016). 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/611188dedf02a67dc9cfab7c.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 The Rio final five years ago made it nine successive Olympic golds and yet the result was greeted as a disappointment back home, being the first since 1984 from which Kenya had taken just the one medal. There would have been bronze as well as gold had Kemboi not been disqualified for stepping off the track at a water jump.
That decision upgraded the colourful Frenchman Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad to third place, and a 20-year-old El Bakkali to fourth, 2.43 seconds shy of a podium spot. It was familiar territory for the young Moroccan. At the 2014 World U20 Championships in Eugene, Bakkali had placed fourth behind Kenyans Barnabas Kipyego and Titus Kibiego and Burundi&rsquo;s Evans Chematot.
And yet El Bakkali&rsquo;s ascent to Olympic gold medal winner was no bolt from the blue. Far from it.
Save for the 2019 World Championships final in Doha, when Conselsus Kipruto rose Lazarus-like to retain his global crown five months after a stress fracture (and El Bakkali took bronze behind the emerging Girma), the man from Fez has been the dominant force in his specialist event.
El Bakkali has won five out of six Diamond League steeplechases he has contested in the past three seasons. And his 3:31.95 for third place in the Doha Diamond League 1500m in May this year (a PB by 2.43), behind Timothy Cheruiyot and Stewart McSweyn, showed a glint of golden sharpness.
With Kipruto having failed to finish at the Kenyan trials, El Bakkali arrived in Tokyo as the pedigree contender. Since finishing fourth in Rio in 2016, he has now claimed a medal in three successive global finals, with a silver from the 2017 World Championships in London (behind Kipruto) and bronze in Doha in 2019 (behind Kipruto and Girma).
He has also joined a hallowed list from Moroccan Olympic track and field: Nawal El Moutawakel (400m hurdles, 1984), Said Aouita (5000m, 1984), Brahim Boutayeb (10,000m, 1988), Khalid Skah (10,000m, 1992) and El Guerrouj (1500m and 5000m, 2004). 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6107e7f0f5668a58772985bf.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 "I have been aiming for this for years,&rdquo; El Bakkali reflected. &ldquo;This was my opportunity to show that Morocco is capable of winning this prize.
"It is a big accomplishment for me. I am so used to seeing Kenyans win.
"It was not easy for me to be in front of the Kenyans and Ethiopians. I know how hard it is to be first in front of them."
At 25, El Bakkali has time to consolidate his hard-earned position as the planet&rsquo;s pre-eminent male steeplechaser. With a PB of 7:58.15 from the Monaco Diamond League meeting in 2018, he stands 10th on the world all-time list. Saif Saaeed Shaheen&rsquo;s 17-year-old world record is 7:53.63.&nbsp;
The global mark before that was held by a Moroccan. Brahim Boulami clocked 7:55.28 in Brussels in 2001, ending 23 years of ownership by a succession of Kenyans, stretching back to Henry Rono in 1978. It remains the Moroccan record.
Then, of course, there is a world title up for grabs in Eugene next year. The Kenyan fist has not been quite so tight on World Championships gold but they have won 13 of 17 men&rsquo;s golds in the 3000m steeplechase - including the last seven in a row, courtesy of Brimin Kipruto (2007), Kemboi (2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015) and Conselsus Kipruto (2017 and 2019).
The challenge now for Morocco&rsquo;s Olympic champion is to follow in the footsteps of (West) Germany&rsquo;s Patriz Ilg (1983), Italy&rsquo;s Francesco Panetta (1987) and Qatar&rsquo;s Shaheen (2003 and 2005) by finishing a cut above the Kenyans and the rest again on the Oregon trail in 2022.
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics

There is something of the Usain Bolt about Soufiane El Bakkali.

A changing of the men's Olympic steeplechase guard

It will go down as one of the most surprising performances at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, but in the end Peruth Chemutai&rsquo;s victory in the 3000m steeplechase was pretty convincing.
It shouldn&rsquo;t be too big a surprise that someone who finished fifth at the last World Championships &ndash; in one of the deepest races of all time &ndash; and fifth at the 2019 World Cross while still a teenager should be a medal contender in Tokyo. But much of the pre-race attention had been on the past three world champions: Beatrice Chepkoech, Emma Coburn and Hyvin Kiyeng.
Chemutai, meanwhile, had finished some way off the leaders in her two international races this year, so went largely unnoticed before arriving in Tokyo. But after clocking a season&rsquo;s best of 9:12.72 in her heat, she lined up for the final feeling as good as she ever had done.
She led a large pack through the first kilometre in 3:05.18, as all the big contenders looked extremely comfortable with the pace. After another lap, and with 4:30 on the clock, USA&rsquo;s 2017 world silver medallist Courtney Frerichs took up the pace at the front and started to stretch out the field.
Chemutai was the only one to go with Frerichs and it seemed as though the rest of the chase pack were biding their time until Frerichs came back to them.
But she never did. In fact, she extended her lead and with two laps to go the North American record-holder had a five-metre gap on Chemutai while the rest of the chasers were a further 10 metres adrift.
Frerichs went through the bell in 7:51, and while she continued to maintain a good pace, the cracks were starting to show. Chemutai was starting to close on the long-time leader and she finally seized her moment in the middle of the back straight, hitting the front with 250 metres to go.
From there, Chemutai was never headed and she flew over the final water jump &ndash; feet not even touching the barrier &ndash; and motored down the home straight to win in 9:01.45. Frerichs held on for the silver medal in a season&rsquo;s best of 9:04.79. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/610a98c3fd4775daa7273f58.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 Kiyeng had managed to detach herself from the chase pack to set off in pursuit of Frerichs but had left herself with too much work to do, eventually crossing the line in third in 9:05.39 to earn her fourth career global medal.
Ethiopian record-holder Mekides Abebe closed well on the last lap but finished just outside the medals in fourth with 9:06.16. Germany&rsquo;s two-time world bronze medallist Gesa Felicitas Krause was fifth in 9:14.00, just ahead of Marusa Mismas-Zrimsek, who clocked a Slovenian record of 9:14.84 in sixth.
World champion Chepkoech, who hadn&rsquo;t looked at her best during this outdoor season, wound up seventh, just ahead of Ethiopian teenager Zerfe Wondemagegn. Lizzie Bird set a British record of 9:19.68 in ninth. Coburn, after dropping out of contention a little earlier in the race, fell with less than a lap to go and was later disqualified.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m so happy, it is such a surprise,&rdquo; said Chemutai, who becomes the first Ugandan woman to win an Olympic medal of any colour in any sport.
She made her international debut at the 2016 World U20 Championships and then, just a few weeks after her 17th birthday, finished seventh in her heat at the Olympic Games in Rio. She went on to take world U20 silver in 2018 before achieving her fifth-place senior finishes at the 2019 World Cross and the World Championships later that year.
&ldquo;I was still young in Rio and I didn&rsquo;t make the final,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;But today I&rsquo;m so happy.&rdquo;
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center;" colspan="3">WOMEN'S 3000m STEEPLECHASE MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968;">Peruth Chemutai 🇺🇬 UGA</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968;">9:01.45 NR</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9;">Courtney Frerichs 🇺🇸 USA</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9;">9:04.79 SB</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e;">Hyvin Kiyeng 🇰🇪 KEN</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e;">9:05.39</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391/results/women/3000-metres-steeplechase/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

It will go down as one of the most surprising performances at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Chemutai lands surprise steeplechase victory in Tokyo

Soufiane El Bakkali ended a 17-year Olympic gold medal drought for Morocco with a dominant victory in the 3000m steeplechase in Tokyo on Monday (2).
Since his fourth-place finish in Rio five years ago, El Bakkali has been one of the finest steeplechasers on the planet, striking silver at the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London and bronze in Doha two years later. He put the experience and maturity he's collected since on full display in Tokyo, biding his time perfectly behind Ethiopians Lamecha Girma and Getnet Wale before making his move as he entered the final bend.
After safely negotiating the water jump for the final time, El Bakkali pulled away for good en route to an 8:08.90 win, well clear of Girma whose early pacing was rewarded with silver.
His was the first Olympic athletics gold medal for Morocco since Hicham El Guerrouj notched his historic 1500m and 5000m double at the 2004 Games in Athens. Also of note is that El Bakkali put an end to Kenya's decades-long dominance of the event. Until tonight, athletes from the east African athletics powerhouse had captured the discipline at all but two Olympic Games since 1968 - and those were the two the nation boycotted.
"I am so used to seeing Kenyans win, it's a big accomplishment for me," said El Bakkali, who raced sparingly but well this season, winning at the Golden Gala in Florence in 8:08.54 and perhaps more notably, clocking 3:31.95 in the Doha Diamond League 1500m, clipping 1.5 seconds from his previous lifetime best.
&ldquo;I have been aiming for this for years and this was my opportunity to show that Morocco is capable of winning this prize in front of the Kenyans.&rdquo; 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6107e7b79768ad4277d2963a.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 The race played right into that improved speed, as Wale and Girma took early command with a fairly conservative pace. With the clock reading just over two minutes, Japanese record-holder Ryuji Miura made a brief move for the lead that managed to string out the tight pack, albeit briefly.
The Ethiopians maintained command but were joined at the front by Kenyans Benjamin Kigen and Abraham Kibiwott with three laps to go, with El Bakkali, making his presence felt for the first time, moving into fifth. A lap later, El Bakkali moved into third behind the Ethiopian pair and by the time the trio approached the bell, the towering Moroccan was clearly ready to pounce.
That decisive move came as they approached the water jump when El Bakkali surged confidently and was never challenged again.
"I have been thinking about being more confident, working on my self-confidence and also trusting that I can win,&rdquo; El Bakkali said. &ldquo;I have tried so many times to compare myself with the Kenyans and Ethiopians to see whether I could reach this gold, and I did."
Girma held on best to finish second in 8:10.38. Kigen passed Wale between the final two barriers to take bronze in 8:11.45 - and save Kenyan pride.
"I ran to my best and I have a medal," said Kigen, who was sixth at the last World Championships and raced to victory at the All Africa Games earlier that year. Representing Kenya in this event, he added: &ldquo;There is a lot of pressure. I know a lot of our previous champions and train with them. Next time I promise I will bring the (gold) medal."
Wale was next, clocking 8:14.97, followed by Eritrean Yemane Haileselassie, who was fifth in 8:15.34.
Matt Hughes of Canada was sixth in 8:16.03, an improvement on his 10th-place finish in Rio.
Miura clocked 8:16.90 to finish seventh, the best ever showing in the event for Japan.
Bob Ramsak for World Athletics
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center;" colspan="3">MEN'S 3000m STEEPLECHASE MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 65%; background-color: #e9c968;">Soufiane El Bakkali 🇲🇦 MAR</td>
<td style="width: 25%; background-color: #e9c968;">8:08.90</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 65%; background-color: #ced4d9;">Lamecha Girma 🇪🇹 ETH</td>
<td style="width: 25%; background-color: #ced4d9;">8:10.38</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 65%; background-color: #bd895e;">Benjamin Kigen 🇰🇪 KEN</td>
<td style="width: 25%; background-color: #bd895e;">8:11.45</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391/results/men/3000-metres-steeplechase/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

Soufiane El Bakkali ended a 17-year Olympic gold medal drought for Morocco with a dominant victory in the 3000m steeplechase in Tokyo on Monday.

El Bakkali gains Olympic steeplechase gold for Morocco

The action is hotting up in Tokyo and&nbsp;another four gold medals will be claimed on day three of athletics at the Olympic Games on Sunday (1).
The day&rsquo;s programme comes to a close with the men&rsquo;s 100m final, while athletes will also compete for medals in the women&rsquo;s shot put, women&rsquo;s triple jump and men&rsquo;s high jump.
Here are five things to follow on day three&hellip;
<h2> A new 100m champion</h2>
Men&rsquo;s 100m final 9:50pm Tokyo time | 2:50pm CEST
For the first time since 2004, the 100m gold medal will be won by an athlete other than Usain Bolt, who swept three consecutive titles in Beijing, London and Rio, as well as three straight 200m crowns.
With Bolt now in retirement, US sprinter Trayvon Bromell had looked to be the man who could take up the mantle in Tokyo. The 26-year-old clocked a world-leading 9.77 in June in Florida, the seventh-fastest time in history. He then sealed his spot for Tokyo by winning the 100m at the US Olympic Trials in 9.80.
However, he placed fourth in his heat on Saturday (31) and so faced a nervous wait to see if his time of 10.05 would be enough to see him advance. It was and he will now face a stern test from several other top contenders in the next round, including his USA teammates Ronnie Baker and Fred Kerley.
South Africa&rsquo;s Akani Simbine has run 9.84 this year and hopes to become the first African to win the Olympic 100m title since Reggie Walker at the 1908 London Games, while Canada&rsquo;s multiple world and Olympic medallist Andre De Grasse is also sure to be in the mix.
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/news/tokyo-olympics-preview-100m" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full preview</a>
<h2> Rojas aims to reign supreme</h2>
Women&rsquo;s triple jump final 8.15pm Tokyo time | 1:15pm CEST
During the current &ndash; and extended &ndash; Olympic cycle, Venezuela&rsquo;s Yulimar Rojas is the only woman in the world to have jumped beyond 15 metres. In fact, she has done so 17 times, including at all six of her competitions this year. She also came close in qualification in Tokyo, as her leap of 14.77m was achieved despite leaping from almost 40cm behind the board and would have been well over 15 metres had she hit the board on take off. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6103f02ccc52e2680e5df19e.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="633" />
 She will be joined by athletes including Thea LaFond, who leapt a national record of 14.60m to qualify for the final and will aim to win Dominica&rsquo;s first Olympic medal in any sport, and Jamaica&rsquo;s world silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts.
Two-time world champion Caterine Ibarguen struggled to find her rhythm on the runway in qualification and was facing elimination but a third round jump of 14.37m secured her place in the final as the seventh-best qualifier to keep her Tokyo dream alive.
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/news/preview/tokyo-olympics-preview-triple-jump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full preview</a>
<h2> Barshim the man to beat</h2>
Men&rsquo;s high jump final 7.10pm Tokyo time | 12:10pm CEST
After all his achievements so far, gold is the only place left to go for Mutaz Barshim, who claimed Olympic bronze in 2012 (later upgraded to silver) and then silver in 2016 before winning his two world titles.
Widely considered the best high jumper of the past decade, if not of his generation, the 30-year-old has scaled 2.40m 11 times since 2013. But a number of other stars are ready to challenge him for the title in Tokyo. Authorised neutral athletes Ilya Ivanyuk and Mikhail Akimenko, plus Maksim Nedasekau of Belarus and Italy&rsquo;s Gianmarco Tamberi will be among them, while rising US star JuVaughn Harrison will also look to make an impact as he juggles this event with competing in the long jump.
Seeking a strong performance on home soil will be Naoto Tobe, who cleared his PB of 2.35m indoors in 2019.
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/news/preview/tokyo-olympics-preview-high-jump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full preview</a>
<h2> Top shot</h2>
Women&rsquo;s shot put final 10:35am Tokyo time | 3:35am CEST
The first shot putter in history to reach five Olympic finals, New Zealand&rsquo;s Valerie Adams will now aim to become the first woman to win a single individual Olympic athletics event three times.
Bedeviled by a spate of injuries over the past six years, the 36-year-old weathered pandemic restrictions and cancellations well in 2021, throwing 19.75m in July. Four others have thrown farther this year, however, and will also be looking to take that title. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6103f2edef667c76188d153e.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="603" />
 China&rsquo;s Gong Lijiao has topped the world lists in three of the last four seasons and is the best so far this year, throwing 20.39m in June. Jessica Ramsey threw a PB of 20.12m to win the US Olympic Trials and will be out to prove that her performance in Eugene wasn't a one-off. Her teammate Raven Saunders was second at the trials with a 19.96m lifetime best and arrives with big meet experience having finished fifth in Rio. While Portugal's Auriol Dongmo will also be one to watch, having shown good consistency and thrown a national record of 19.75m this year.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/news/preview/tokyo-olympics-preview-shot-put" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full preview</a> 
<h2>Let the&nbsp;steeplechase begin</h2>
Women&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase heats 9:40am Tokyo time | 2:40am CEST
Beatrice Chepkoech (heat two) broke the world record in 2018, clocking 8:44.32, and then went on to win the world title in 2019 with a championship record of 8:57.84. But despite a promising start to her year, which included a world record of 14:43 over 5km and an indoor 3000m PB of 8:31.72 just three days later, the Kenyan hasn&rsquo;t won any of her steeplechase races in 2021. Her season&rsquo;s best of 9:04.94 was set when finishing a distant second at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco.
Her compatriot Hyvin Kiyeng (heat three) was the winner on that occasion, running a season&rsquo;s best of 9:03.82, and the 2016 Olympic silver medallist looks set to be a big threat in Tokyo. The fastest of the entrants, however, is African Games champion Mekides Abebe (heat three), who set an Ethiopian record of 9:02.52 at the Diamond League meeting in Doha. She will be joined by teammates Lomi Muleta, who set a PB of 9:14.03 this year, and Zerfe Wondemagegn, who set a national U20 record of 9:16.95 in Hengelo.
US champion Emma Coburn (heat one) will once again be a medal contender, should all go to plan in the heats.
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/news/tokyo-olympics-preview-3000m-steeplechase" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full preview</a>
&nbsp;

The action is hotting up in Tokyo and another four gold medals will be claimed on day three of athletics at the Olympic Games on Sunday (1).

Five things to follow on day three in Tokyo

<h2>Women's 3000m steeplechase</h2>
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391/athletes?competitionGroup=olympic-games&amp;disciplineCode=3KSC&amp;sexCode=W&amp;urlSlug=the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Entries</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391/timetable/bydiscipline/women/3000-metres-steeplechase" target="_blank" rel="noopener">timetable</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/world-rankings/3000msc/women?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;rankDate=2021-07-13&amp;limitByCountry=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/toplists/middle-long/3000-metres-steeplechase/outdoor/women/senior/2021?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021 world list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/middle-long/3000-metres-steeplechase/outdoor/women/senior?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true&amp;firstDay=1900-01-01&amp;lastDay=2021-07-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/disciplines/middlelong/3000-metres-steeplechase" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how it works</a>
The standout steeplechaser over the past few years hasn&rsquo;t quite been so dominant in 2021, throwing this event wide open going into Tokyo.
Beatrice Chepkoech broke the world record in 2018, clocking 8:44.32, and then went on to win the world title in 2019 with a championship record of 8:57.84, finishing almost five seconds ahead of the rest of the field.
She finished fourth at the 2016 Olympics and at the 2017 World Championships, despite losing precious time when missing one of the barriers. She rebounded well, and throughout 2018 and 2019 she won 17 of her 19 races. She now also owns half of history&rsquo;s 14 sub-nine-minute performances in the steeplechase.
But despite a promising start to her year, which included a world record of 14:43 over 5km and an indoor 3000m PB of 8:31.72 just three days later, the Kenyan hasn&rsquo;t won any of her steeplechase races in 2021. Her season&rsquo;s best of 9:04.94 was set when finishing a distant second at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco.
Her compatriot Hyvin Kiyeng was the winner on that occasion in what turned out to be an eventful race. Kiyeng misjudged her remaining laps due to a human error with the lap counter, so she started her final kick one lap early. Upon realising her mistake after hearing the bell for the actual final lap, she somehow managed to muster enough energy to hold on to her lead, winning in a season&rsquo;s best of 9:03.82.
Kiyeng won the world title in 2015 and went on to take Olympic silver in 2016 and world bronze in 2017. She finished fourth on her season debut in Doha earlier this year but has gone on to win the rest of her races, beating Chepkoech on all three occasions.
And if she can beat a world record-holder and world champion after having messed up her finishing kick, as she did in Monaco, Kiyeng will be a big threat in Tokyo. She could even finally improve on the PB of 9:00.01 she set back in 2016.
The fastest of the entrants, somewhat surprisingly, is African Games champion Mekides Abebe, who set an Ethiopian record of 9:02.52 at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Doha. Her only other races this year have been against domestic opposition, but she won both the Ethiopian Championships in Addis Ababa and the Ethiopian Olympic Trials in Hengelo.
Despite being just 19 years of age, Abebe is actually the oldest of Ethiopia&rsquo;s steeplechase representatives. She&rsquo;ll be joined in Tokyo by Lomi Muleta, who set a PB of 9:14.03 this year, and Zerfe Wondemagegn, who set a national U20 record of 9:16.95 in Hengelo. All three women represented Ethiopia at the 2019 World Championships, so, despite their young age, they will have already gained some valuable experience ahead of making their Olympic debut.
US champion Emma Coburn will once again be a medal contender. Olympic bronze medallist in 2016, world champion in 2017 and world silver medallist in 2019, Coburn is always in the mix at major events. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/4d8d9286-35f1-44ad-950b-04d6e5aa9861.jpg" alt="" width="100%" height="" />
 She fell at the last water jump in her final pre-Olympic race at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco, eventually finishing fourth in 9:09.02. She had watched Kiyeng&rsquo;s blunder from afar and had started to reel in the Kenyan, though there&rsquo;s also no guarantee Coburn would have won on that occasion had she stayed on her feet. Regardless, assuming she makes no such mistake in Tokyo, Coburn will be in the medal hunt.
Gesa-Felicitas Krause is another strong championship performer. The German won European golds in 2016 and 2018, sandwiched between world bronze medals in 2015 and 2019. She heads to Tokyo with a season&rsquo;s best of 9:09.13, though it&rsquo;s highly likely she&rsquo;ll improve on that; in all but one of her 10 seasons between 2010 and 2019, Krause&rsquo;s fastest times of each year were set in championship finals.
Bahrain&rsquo;s Winfred Yavi just missed out on the medals at the World Championships in Doha, but gained some form of redemption when she returned to the Qatari capital for the Wanda Diamond League meeting earlier this year as she came away with a PB of 9:02.64, beating Kiyeng, Coburn and Krause.
Others who could feature in the final include North American record-holder and 2017 world silver medallist Courtney Frerichs, Slovenian record-holder Marusa Mismas-Zrimsek, 2014 Commonwealth champion Purity Kirui, Oceanian record-holder Genevieve Gregson of Australia, Chinese record-holder Zhang Xinyan and Ugandan record-holder Peruth Chemutai.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
&nbsp;
<h2>Men's 3000m steeplechase</h2>
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391/athletes?competitionGroup=olympic-games&amp;countryCode=&amp;disciplineCode=3KSC&amp;sexCode=M&amp;urlSlug=the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Entries</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391/timetable/bydiscipline/men/3000-metres-steeplechase" target="_blank" rel="noopener">timetable</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/world-rankings/3000msc/men?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;rankDate=2021-07-13&amp;limitByCountry=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/toplists/middle-long/3000-metres-steeplechase/outdoor/men/senior/2021?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021 world list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/middle-long/3000-metres-steeplechase/outdoor/men/senior?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true&amp;firstDay=1900-01-01&amp;lastDay=2021-07-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/disciplines/middlelong/3000-metres-steeplechase" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how it works</a>
By any measure, the men's 3000m steeplechase has been Kenya's event. Athletes from the east African athletics powerhouse have captured the discipline at all but two Olympic Games since 1968 - and those were the two the nation boycotted. But for the first time in recent memory its squad will be arriving at an Olympic Games without a reigning world or Olympic champion.
Conseslus Kipruto, the champion in Rio five years ago and winner at the past two World Championships, did not finish his race at the Kenyan Trials last month, and won't be in Tokyo to defend his title. That passes the pressure of the nation on to the lean shoulders of Leonard Bett, Banjamin Kigen and Abraham Kibiwott.
Hopes are high for Bett, the 2017 world U18 champion, 2018 African champion and 2019 World Championships finalist, who took the top honours at the brutally competitive Kenyan Olympic Trials on 19 June, clocking 8:17.26 in the altitude of Nairobi. He's raced sparingly this season, however, so his true form won't be revealed until opening round action gets under way on Friday 30 July. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/35cc7202-029b-4e03-bebd-ff1d2962e2fa.jpg" alt="" width="100%" height="" />
 Like Bett, Kibiwott, 25, was also a finalist at the 2019 World Championships where he finished seventh, so he too also brings major competition experience to the Japanese capital. The 25-year-old has an 8:05.72 career best from 2019 and has five sub-8:10 performances to his credit. The most recent came in Monaco on 9 July where he finished second in 8:07.81.
Kigen, 28, was sixth at the last World Championships and raced to victory at the African Games earlier that year, and with several Wanda Diamond League and World Athletics Continental Tour victories to his credit, is also a proven commodity on the international stage. But with an 8:15.09 season's best, he hasn't been particularly fast this season, but that performance came at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco where the official rang the bell one lap early, causing Kigen and a couple of other runners to launch their finishing kick with two laps to go. Kigen had been in the lead up until the point the athletes realised there was another lap to go.
To keep their streak alive, the Kenyan trio will have to get past a short list of proven stars who will arrive as the favourites.
Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali, 25, battled to silver and bronze, respectively, at the last two World Championships, has a dozen sub-8:10 performances to his name and a 7:58.15 career best, the fastest among the Tokyo entrants. He's raced sparingly but well this season, winning at the Golden Gala in Florence in 8:08.54 and perhaps more notably, clocking 3:31.95 in the Doha Diamond League 1500m, clipping 1.5 seconds from his previous lifetime best.
Lamecha Girma, meanwhile, burst on to the world stage with a stunning performance at the 2019 World Championships, where the then 18-year-old fiercely battled Kipruto to the line, only to be beaten to gold by a scant 0.01. After a somewhat low-key 2020, Girma has raced just once outdoors this year but made it count, winning in Monaco on 9 July in 8:07.75, the fastest in the world in 2021.
Bikila Tadese Takele, who will turn 19 one day after the Olympic final, won the Ethiopian Trial race in Hengelo with a PB of 8:09.37 and went on to finish second at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Florence.
Compatriot Getnet Wale, the 2019 Diamond League champion and fourth-place finisher at the World Championships later that year, was initially named in the steeplechase but now looks to be focusing solely on the 5000m.
Behind them, the form chart is less certain. France comes armed with Djilali Bedrani (8:11.17 SB) and Mehdi Belhadj (8:12.43 SB, PB), who finished third and fourth in the Monaco race. Bedrani finished fifth at the 2019 World Championships in 8:05.23, still his lifetime best, so also looks to be a factor.
Hillary Bor, the US Trials champion, was seventh in Rio and eighth at the last World Championships, and could also be in medal contention.
Meanwhile, local hopes lie with Ryuji Miura, the 19-year-old who twice broke the national record this year, first with 8:17.46 in Tokyo in May and again to 8:15.99 to win the national title in Osaka one month ago.
Bob Ramsak for World Athletics

Expected highlights in the women's and men's 3000m steeplechase.