DL: Cherotich runs personal best but settles for second behind blazing Yavi at Prefontaine Classic

Olympic bronze medalist Faith Cherotich clocked a stunning personal best of 8:48.71 in the women’s 3000m steeplechase at the Prefontaine Classic on Saturday night, but it was not enough to beat Olympic and world champion Winfred Yavi.

Follow Our WhatsApp Channel For More News

Yavi, running for Bahrain, delivered a sensational meeting record of 8:45.25, the third-fastest time in history, to win the race in dramatic fashion, narrowly missing the world record by less than a second.

Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai, the 2020 Olympic champion, finished third in a season’s best 8:51.77 to complete a high-caliber podium.

Cherotich’s second-place finish marked her first loss of the season, having dominated the Diamond League circuit with wins in Doha, Oslo, and Paris.

World Record Alert: Chebet goes sub-14 in 5000m

The 20-year-old had opened her 2025 campaign with a 9:05.08 win in Doha on May 16, improved to 9:02.60 in Oslo on June 12, and went on to post a then-world lead of 8:53.37 in Paris a week later.

Saturday’s showdown in Eugene was historic, as for the first time, five women dipped under the nine-minute mark, a testament to the depth and pace of the race.

World Record Alert: Faith Kipyegon runs sub 3:49 to dominate in Eugene

Yavi bided her time behind Chemutai, who led through 1000m in 2:56.61 and 2000m in 5:55.39, before surging to the front in the final stages.

Her relentless finish saw her nearly collapse at the line in exhaustion after delivering one of the fastest runs the event has ever seen.