Atheltics Weekly

EVENT-BY-EVENT PREVIEW – WOMEN
@athleticsweekly
JEPKEMOI SHOULD TRIUMPH
3000m STEEPLECHASE
KENYAN domination could
very well be on the cards in this
event. Even the biggest threat
to the three fastest women in
the world this year was born in
the East African country.
Ruth Jebet, who stormed
to Olympic gold in Rio and a
world record before she turned
20, somewhat controversially
switched allegiance from Kenya
to Bahrain as a teenager.
She will be up against Hyvin
Kiyeng Jepkemoi, who is
defending her title from 2015
and took silver last summer,
not to mention the hugely
impressive teenage talent
Clliphine Chepteek Chespol.
The 18-year-old broke
the world under-20 record
in defeating Jebet in Eugene
Ruth Jebet and Hyvin Kiyeng Jepkemoi are again expected to be to the fore
earlier this year, even managing
to recover from having to fix a
loose shoe with 600m to go
before racing to victory.
Beatrice Chepkoech was
second in that race and will
make her presence firmly felt
here, while there is also likely
to be a strong challenge too
from American Olympic bronze
medallist Emma Coburn, as
well as Ethiopian Sofia Assefa,
the woman who took silver at
London 2012.
Lennie Waite, the Scottishborn
31-year-old who grew up
Event statistics
World record: 8:52.78 Ruth Jebet
(BRN)
Champs record: 9:06:57 Ekaterina
Volkova (RUS)
Defending champion: Hyvin Kiyeng
Jepkemoi (KEN)
British interest: Rosie Clarke,
Lennie Waite
AW prediction: 1 Jepkemoi (KEN);
2 Jebet (BRN); 3 Chespol (KEN)
History: Milcah Chemos has the best
record, having won gold in 2013 and
silver in 2011. She is also currently
showing as second in 2009. She
was third across the line and that
yet could be upgraded to first.
in America, experienced the
benefits of a home crowd at
the Commonwealth Games in
Glasgow and will be looking for
the London support to provide
more of the same come race
time in Stratford. EC
HARRISON’S SET TO SOOTHE RIO PAIN
100m HURDLES
KENDRA HARRISON may
have scorched her way to the
world record in London last
year but, such had been the
strength in depth of American
sprint hurdling, she didn’t even
make it to the Rio Games.
She clearly used the pain
of that experience to fuel her
inner fire, qualifying for London
well in advance thanks to her
Diamond League victory last
year, and is an undoubted
favourite to finish on the top of
the podium on this occasion
but will not expect to have it all
her own way.
The self-coached Sally
Pearson has surprised herself
with the standards she has
been reaching of late.
Kendra Harrison and Sally Pearson: expected top two
The Australian former
Olympic and world champion
showed signs of her old
self when she ran Harrison
particularly close during the
Müller Anniversary Games on
the London track recently, and
it would complete an emotional
comeback from horrendous
injury problems if she were to
win a medal in London.
Nia Ali, silver winner in Rio,
is the only one of the American
trio which enjoyed a clean
sweep there who will be in
London. She and Harrison are
joined by Christina Manning
and Dawn Harper-Nelson.
Event statistics
World record: 12.20 Kendra
Harrison (USA)
Champs record: 12.28 Sally Pearson
(AUS)
Defending champion: Danielle
Williams (JAM)
British interest: Alicia Barrett,
Tiffany Porter
AW prediction: 1 Harrison (USA);
2 Pearson (AUS); 3 Williams (JAM)
History: Gail Devers is the most
successful athlete, having won three
gold and two silver medals.
Britain’s Tiffany Porter, fifth
in Beijing two years ago, won’t
be joined in London by her
sister Cindy Ofili, who missed
out through a hamstring injury.
Alicia Barrett, winner at the
team trials in Birmingham and
a junior UK record breaker this
year, joins the squad. EC
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