Ugandan star Peruth Chemutai represents one of her country’s greatest hopes for success at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Chemutai became the first Ugandan woman to win an Olympic medal when she triumphed in the 3000m Steeplechase at Tokyo 2020, running a time of 9:01.45 to come home ahead of Courtney Frerichs (USA) and Hyvin Kiyeng Jepkemoi (Kenya).
“I am feeling great. Today I made it. It is the first time Uganda gets the gold medal in 3000m Steeplechase. I am so happy to be an Olympic champion,” said Chemutai. “I thought about going in the front of the race, but the American girl (Frerichs) came in front. With 500m [remaining], I just decided to go, and I went hard until the finish.”
All of Uganda’s 10 previous medals at the Olympic Games had come from men. The nation’s two prior Olympic golds had come from John Akii-Bua at Munich 1972 and marathon runner Stephen Kiprotich at London 2012.
Chemutai hails from the Bukwo District and took up running in 2013. Just two years later, at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games in Apia, Samoa, she won silver medals in the 1500m and 3000m. The following year, at age 17, she finished in seventh place in the final of the women’s 3000m Steeplechase event at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships held in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
The teenager was part of Uganda’s 2016 Olympic team but was unable to qualify for the finals of the 3000m Steeplechase in Rio de Janeiro. Yet five years later in Japan, 22-year-old Chemutai was the class of the field and made history by claiming the gold medal.
In 2024 she continued to excel, as she won the 3000m Steeplechase race at the Prefontaine Classic [a Diamond League event] in Eugene in a time of 8:55.09, beating her own national record and running under the nine-minute barrier for the first time.
“I am very happy that I continue to improve as we get closer to the Paris Olympics,” Chemutai explained. “I continue to work hard because my focus remains to defend the gold medal I won at the Tokyo Olympics.”
The final of the Women’s 3000m Steeplechase will be held on the track at Stade de France on the evening of Tuesday 6 August LIVE on SuperSport.
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