U.S. Women’s Distance Went Bonkers
Her remarkable effort also smashed her own previous personal best by more than 15 seconds
There were two American records, a near miss on another, and numerous lifetime bests for the U.S. women this weekend.
On Friday, Courtney Frerichs ran 9:00.85 in the steeplechase, beating Emma Coburn for the first time in 12 attempts in the event and getting Coburn’s record in the process.
With Beatrice Chepkoech so far out in front, it was hard to track the rest of the field. Frerichs rarely made an appearance on camera, only popping up in the briefest of cutaways. But with Chepkoech running that fast, you knew second place would be quick as well.
Chepkoech, 27, ran 8min 44.32sec to shatter the previous best set in 2016 by Kenyan-born Bahraini Ruth Jebet, whose name headlined an Athletics Integrity Unit report released earlier Friday into alleged doping.
Olympic champion Jebet had run 8:52.78 before Chepkoech, aided by a couple of pacemakers, shot around more than six seconds faster at the Stade Louis II track in perfect racing conditions.
Chepkoech’s remarkable effort also smashed her own previous personal best by more than 15 seconds.
VIDEO