After a quiet Saturday for Team Kenya at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Sunday saw a flurry of activity. The women’s 3,000 meters steeplechase heats began with the world’s best athletes competing. Beatrice Chepkoech, the world record holder, and Faith Cherotich advanced to the final, but Jackline Chepkoech did not make it.

In the first heat, Faith Cherotich ran against the reigning Olympic Champion, Peruth Chemutai from Uganda. Cherotich finished second with a time of 9:10.57, just behind Chemutai who won with a time of 9:10.51. The race was tight, with six athletes breaking away after 2,000 meters, all aiming to finish in the top five to qualify for the finals.

The top five in the first heat were Chemutai, Cherotich, Germany’s Gesa Krause (9:10.68, season best), USA’s Courtney Wayment (9:10.72), and Ethiopia’s Lomi Muleta (9:10.73, personal best). Tunisia’s Marwa Bouzayani, despite setting a personal best of 9:10.91, missed out on qualifying.

In the second heat, Jackline Chepkoech struggled, finishing last with a time of 9:35.56 after falling behind in the last 1,000 meters. The heat was won by Kenyan-born Bahraini, Winfried Yavi, who finished in 9:15.11. Ethiopia’s Sembo Almayew was second with a time of 9:15.42, followed by USA’s Valerie Constien (9:16.33), Great Britain’s Elizabeth Bird (9:16.46), and the Kenyan-born Kazakhstani, Norah Jeruto (9:16.46, season best).

The third and final heat featured Beatrice Chepkoech, who dominated the race from start to finish, winning with a time of 9:13.56. France’s Alice Finot came second with a time of 9:14.78. Germany’s Lea Meyer (9:14.85, personal best), Poland’s Alicja Konieczek (9:16.51, national record), and Spain’s Irene Sanchez-Escribano (9:17.39, personal best) also qualified for the final.