Elite Bahraini athlete Winfred Yavi set for world title race

TDT | Manama    

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s former Asian Games and Asian champion Winfred Yavi will be aiming to capture her maiden world title tonight when she competes in the 3,000 metres steeplechase final on the concluding day of the World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest.

Winfred heads into the race, scheduled for a 10.05pm start, Bahrain time, as one of the medal favourites.

She is currently ranked fourth in the world in her event, and will be going up against the likes of world number two Jackline Chepkoech of Kenya and world number three Sembo Almayew of Ethiopia, among others.

The 23-year-old Bahraini qualified for the run after winning her first-round heat in nine minutes 19.18 seconds.

Her time was fourth-fastest from the 15 athletes who advanced to the final.

It was, however, far from her season’s best of 9:04.38, and her personal best of 8:56.55, which she set last year.

Winfred is looking to claim her first world title in her already decorated career.

She has won gold medals in the 3,000m steeplechase at the Asian Games in 2018 and Asian championships in 2019, as well as the 5,000m gold at the same continental meeting.

In the previous world championships in Eugene, Oregon, in the US last year, Winfred came up agonisingly short in her quest for the podium, taking fourth place in the final.

Also set to go for steeplechase glory tonight are five others currently ranked in the world’s top 10.

They include world number five Beatrice Chepkoech of Kenya, world number six Zerfe Wondemagegn of Ethiopia, world number seven Faith Cherotich of Kenya, world number nine Courtney Wayment of the US, and world number 10 Marusa Mismas Zrimsek of Slovenia.

Meanwhile, Bahrain’s Rose Chelimo competed in the women’s marathon yesterday but did not finish the race.

The event’s 2017 world champion was one of 12 athletes who could not complete the distance. A field of 77 took part.

Winfred and Rose are part of Bahrain’s small, four-athlete team at this year’s worlds.

The others are Kemi Adekoya, who finished fourth in the women’s 400m hurdles final, and Birhanu Balew, who competed in the men’s 10,000m and 5,000m but could not challenge for a medal.

Former women’s 400m world champion Salwa Eid Naser and Abdi Ali Gelelchu were also originally scheduled to compete.

But Salwa was forced to withdraw due to injury, and Gelelchu faced visa issues that prevented him from taking part.