Hangzhou, China, October 2, 2023: World champion Winfred Mutile Yavi of Bahrain set a new Asian Games record as she swept to victory in the women’s 3000 metres steeplechase at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium on Monday.
The 23-year-old Queen of the steeplechase easily defended the title she first won five years ago at the 2018 Jakarta Games, and she did it in emphatic fashion by wiping off more than 13 seconds from the previous best Asian Games mark set by Ruth Jebet, also from Bahrain, in 2014 Incheon.
India’s Parul Chaudhary gave a determined challenge for five of the seven-and-a-half lap race, but the diminutive Yavi was too strong and pulled away in the last 800 metres to win in nine minutes 18.28 seconds.
Chaudhary ran a personal best to take the silver in 9:27.63 while compatriot Priti narrowly edged out Bahrain’s Tigest Mekonen for bronze in a personal best 9:43.32.
“I’m happy because I came here to defend my gold medal. I’m even happier that I broke the Games record,” said Yavi, who, 24 hours earlier, had won the gold medal in the women’s 1500m.
The Asian Games gold completed a superb recent run of form for Yavi, who, two months ago, was crowned women’s 3000m steeplechase champion at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary where she registered 8:54.29, the fifth fastest time in history.
Chaudhary, who won the 3000m steeplechase at the Asian Championships in Bangkok in July, was the only one in the seven-strong field to push her, but couldn’t quite match the superior aerobic conditioning of Yavi who pulled away with two laps to go.
Yavi said: “I had a lot of pressure before the race with people saying ‘you are going to win’ but anything can happen in a race so my game plan was to play it safe. But once I was in control, I went for the record.
“By winning the 1500m yesterday, I proved to myself that I can be versatile and need not just stick to the 3000m steeplechase. I can move on to other events, maybe even the marathon in the future.”
Chaudhary was content with the silver. The 28-year-old from Uttar Pradesh said: “She is the world champion, so I’m happy to win the silver. I think India will be proud of my silver. I’m happy and I think India is also happy.”
