Pressure to reclaim Kenya's glory in steeplechase resting on teenagers Chepkoech and Cherotich

Teenage sensations Jackline Chepkoech and Faith Cherotich look to be taking up the mantle of Kenya's women's steeplechase from world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech and Co. 

However, the duo are faced with an uphill task of wrestling for global glory from not only Ethiopian and Ugandan athletes who have been the traditional rivals in the race, but from Kenyans that have since switched allegiance and taken up different nationalities. 

Chepkoech, the 2021 world U-20 champion missed out on making the World Championships final in Oregon this year but she rebounded to win Commonwealth Games gold. 

Yet another season of Kenya's steeplechase strangulation

She took part in several Diamond League races, winning in Brussels in a PB of 9:02.43, making her the second-fastest U-20 athlete in history. She ranked fifth on the season's top list as well as the world athletics ranking for the 2022 season. 

On her part, Cherotich took advantage of Chepkoech's decision not to defend her world U-20 title in Cali and went on to strike gold in 9:16.14. 

The 18-year-old then set PBs of 9:09.63 in Brussels and 9:06.14 in Zurich to get to the top ten season's list in seventh place and eight in the world ranking making her the second best Kenyan steeplechaser this season. 

In a recently interview, Cherotich admitted to having some time of pressure to keep winning medals for Kenya, as she made the team to February's World Cross Country Championships.

While Kenyan born Norah Jeruto was the season's fastest runner in the distance, it was Ethiopian Werkuha Getachew who went top on the world rankings. 

Kazakhstan’s Jeruto went top of the season's list after her World Championships triumph in a world-leading championship record of 8:53.02.

She did not contest her specialist discipline after that, but earlier in the season she had won in Nairobi, running 9:04.95 at altitude, and at the Prefontaine Classic in 8:57.97.

Kenyan-born Bahraini Winfred Yavi finished second to Jeruto at the Pre Classic (8:58.71) and improved to 8:56.55 in Paris one month later but finished just outside the medals at the World Championships.

Instead, Ethiopian duo Getachew and Mekides Abebe joined Jeruto on the World Championships podium, both women breaking nine minutes. 

Injury prevented Abebe racing again after the World Championships, but Getachew, who had won the African title earlier in the year, went on to win the Diamond League Final.

Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai had a rollercoaster of a year. After clocking a season’s best of 9:05.54 at the Pre Classic, she finished 11th at the World Championships, then claimed bronze at the Commonwealth Games after hitting one of the barriers mid-race.

Prolific racer Luiza Gega of Albania won the European title in a championship record of 9:11.31, having finished fifth at the World Championships in a national record of 9:10.04.

Other steeplechasers to make a notable breakthrough this year include British record-holder Elizabeth Bird (9:07.87), NCAA champion Courtney Wayment (9:09.91) and French record-holder Alice Finot (9:14.34).

For the first time ever, four women bettered nine minutes this season. There was also record depth of women inside 9:10 (13), 9:20 (23) and 9:30 (40), with national records being broken for 10 different countries.

Additional reporting by World Athletics