Women’s Steeplechase makes its longawaited debut in the World Championships
Superlatives were immediately applicable, even in the qualifying round, since the women’s steeplechase is making its first appearance in the World Championships programme.
By default, the winning 9:32.96 by Yelena Zadorozhnaya (RUS) in the first heat was a championships record. The Russian, running in only her second-ever steeplechase event, looked as if she had confused the heats with the final, bearing down hard over the final two laps, even when her own advancement as one of the top three heat finishers had been assured many metres earlier.
Korene Hinds (JAM) and Salome Chepchumba (KEN) followed the Russian across the line to qualify with respective times of 9:36.76 and 9:39.27.
Not to be outdone, season leader Dorcus Inzikuru (UGA) also sprinted away from a trio of rivals in the last of the three heats for a further lowering of the championships record by five more seconds to 9:27.85.
The Ugandan had been in a push-pull battle with Yekaterina Volkova (RUS) throughout the race before bolting ahead with 300 metres remaining. Volkova easily qualified with a PB 9:29.88, but she was outkicked in the final stages by Jeruto Kiptum (KEN) who replaced Chepchumba as that country’s national record holder with 9:29.21. Both Volkova and Kiptum ensured that there would be two finalists from their respective lands.
In between the record races, Wioletta Janowska (POL) took away a relaxed victory in the remaining heat with 9:35.66. Mardrea Hyman (JAM), another recent convert to the barrier race, clapped with joy after her second-place 9:38.75, also giving Jamaica two in Monday’s final. Hyman’s finish held off the PB 9:39.68 of Carrie Messner (USA) in third.
Messner’s teammate, Elizabeth Jackson, benefited from the rapid pace of the last heat to gain one of the final spots based on her time of 9:45.24.
Among the notable non-qualifiers were Lívia Tóth (HUN) with 9:51.03 and Nataliya Izmodenova (RUS) at 10:01.97.
