Peruth Chemutai underlined her medal credentials at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo with a dominant display in the women’s 3000m steeplechase heats on Monday morning.
The Olympic and Commonwealth Games medalist won Heat 3 in a blistering 9 minutes 07.68 seconds, the fastest time across all three heats, to qualify for Wednesday’s final as the top contender.
Chemutai, who arrived in Tokyo as Uganda’s biggest female medal hope, looked composed throughout her race and shifted gears in the final laps to separate herself from the pack.
Her performance reinforced her pedigree in the event, where she has built a strong international record over recent years.
Uganda’s focus now shifts to Wednesday’s showdown, where Chemutai will attempt to add another medal to her growing collection.
Elsewhere in Tokyo, Uganda fielded four runners in the men’s marathon on Monday morning. Abel Chelangat impressed with a fifth-place finish in 2 hours 10 minutes 11 seconds, while Victor Kiplangat crossed in 15th place with 2 hours 11 minutes 33 seconds.
Teammates Stephen Kissa and Solomon Mutai, however, were unable to complete the race.
