Winfred Yavi Almost Sets New World Record Weeks After Winning Olympic Title

• Winfred Mutile Yavi won the women's 3000m steeplechase at the Golden Gala in Rome on Friday evening
• Yavi became the second woman to dip below 8:50, narrowly missing Beatrice Chepkoech's world record by mere microseconds
• Uganda's Peruth Chemutai was second with a personal best, with Kenya's Faith Cherotich taking third place

Winfred Yavi's rise continued as she won the Rome Diamond League in stunning fashion on August 30.

Yavi won the race but painfully missed the world record by six-thousandths of a second. She beat Peruth Chemutai once again on the homestretch with an amazing kick.

Yavi clocked 8:44:39, missing Beatrice Chepkoech's 8:44.32 set in 2018.

The race was a rematch of all the three medalists from the Olympic games with Kenya's Faith Cherotich present as well.

The three quickly broke ranks with the rest of the field after one lap, but Cherotich was also dropped soon after.

Yavi gets into stride in last 100m

Chemutai, who was dethroned as the Olympic champion by Yavi in Paris, failed to shake off the Makeuni-born athlete.

Yavi came through in the last 100m, outsprinting the Ugandan in what was a repeat of the manner in which she beat Chemutai to win the Olympic title. Chemutai used 8:48.03, while Cherotich clocked 8:57.65 to finish in third place.

The 24-year-old will now head to Brussels for the final on September 13, looking to defend the crown she won in Eugene last year. The win in Rome takes her fifth into the 2024 standings, having competed in just one Diamond League race this year.

Chepkoech leads, followed by Chemutai and Cherotich.

Kipyegon wins again in Rome

At the same time, TUKO.co.ke has reported that Faith Kipyegon blazed to a comfortable win in the women's 1500m final.

It was her first race since she won her third 1500m Olymoic title in Paris earlier this month.

The world record crossed the line with a time of 3:52.89 ahead of Hailu Freweyni, who ran a personal best of 3:54.16.