Uganda’s Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai delivered one of her strongest performances of the season at the Wanda Diamond League in Paris on Friday night, pushing Kenya’s Faith Cherotich all the way in a thrilling women’s 3000m steeplechase.
Chemutai, who won gold in Tokyo in 2021, finished second in a world-class field with a sensational time of 8:54.41—her fastest since the Olympics and the second-best of her career.
The race was one of the highlights of the eighth leg of this year’s Diamond League circuit, packed with record-breaking action and fierce head-to-head battles.
The Ugandan star looked strong throughout the race and launched a serious challenge on the final lap, closing in on Cherotich and briefly appearing to have the upper hand.
But the 20-year-old Kenyan responded with a late surge to take the win in a world-leading 8:53.37, just a second ahead of Chemutai.
Despite missing out on the win, Chemutai’s performance confirmed her return to top form just weeks out from the World Athletics Championships.
She now ranks as the world’s second-fastest steeplechaser this season, and her consistency signals she’ll be one of the major contenders for gold in August.
Ethiopia’s Sembo Almayew, the reigning world U20 champion, placed third with 9:01.22, a season best.
