Loaded steeplechase field promising a thriller in Brussels

World record holder, Commonwealth Games champion, World Under-20 champion, all different Kenyan women who line up in a loaded 3000m steeplechase at the Brussels Diamond League (DL) set for Friday 2 September at the Belgian capital.

This is the final point-scoring opportunity in the 2022 Wanda Diamond League ahead of the series finale next week as another Kenyan-born athlete, Mutile Yavi leads the standings at 15 points from two events.

World record holder Beatrice Chepkoech who has had a difficult season, missing her title defence at the world championships in Oregon with injury as well as the Commonwealth Games won by Jackline Chepkoech is out to end her season on a high.

Her compatriot, Jackline, fresh from winning the club games in a games record time will look to add to her six points garnered from two events in Oregon and Monaco to make it to the top ten who will line up for the final, with the winner getting a wild card to the World Championships in Budapest.

Kenyans line up in Brussels DL with points and reputations at stake in penultimate round

The third Kenyan on the field is teenage sensation Faith Cherotich who dominated the world Under-20 championship in Cali, Colombia and is hoping to cause an upset. This is not the youngster’s first time to go up against a senior field as she managed second place at the Kip Keino classic in Nairobi, beating Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai in a race won by Kazakistan’s Norah Jeruto.

The world champion Jeruto and Olympic champion Chemutai are not in Brussels but the Kenyans have their work cut out as they go up against a strong field that has Yavi, who won in Paris with 8:56.55, the fastest time in a Diamond League race this year and finished second in Oregon.

Also, on the field is 2017 world champion Emma Coburn who has six points, one from Eugene and five from Monaco where she finished fourth. US record-holder Courtney Frerichs add to the depth as well as European champion Luiza Gega, Ethiopia’s Zerfe Wondemagegn and Kenyan-born Kazakhstani Daisy Jepkemei who won Stockholm Diamond League leg.

At each of the 13 series meetings, Athletes are awarded 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 points for ranking 1st to 8th respectively. The top 6 in the field events, top eight for 100m-800m and the top 10 for 1500m and long distances qualify for the Final. In case of a tie, the best legal performance of the qualification phase wins.

The winner of each Diamond Discipline at the Final will become "Diamond League Champion" and be awarded a Diamond Trophy, Ksh 3.6 million (USD 30'000) prize money and a wild card for the World Athletics Championships (certain conditions apply).