Chebet, Kipyegon, Jepchirchir inspired me to go for gold, says Cherotich

Faith Cherotich after winning the women's 3,000m steeplechase world title/ HANDOUT

Faith Cherotich says she was inspired by her fellow Kenyan women to go for gold in the 3000m steeplechase at the World Athletics Championships.

All of Kenya’s gold medals so far have come from women — Peres Jepchirchir (marathon), Beatrice Chebet (10,000m), Faith Kipyegon (1500m), and now Cherotich, who produced a stunning finish to upstage Olympic and 2023 world champion Winfred Yavi.

The 21-year-old, a two-time global bronze medallist, trailed Yavi for most of the race before kicking hard in the final 200 metres. She surged over the last water jump and pulled away to win in a championship record of 8:51.59, nearly five seconds clear of Yavi (8:56.46). Sembo Almayew of Ethiopia claimed bronze in a personal best of 8:58.86.

“My mentor Eliud Kipchoge and Faith Kipyegon told me several times that I had a wonderful kick, and I decided to follow their advice,” she said.

She had studied Yavi in previous races and was determined to upgrade her bronze from Budapest 2023; she clocked 9:00.69 to take bronze behind Yavi and compatriot Beatrice Chepkoech.

Cherotich has been in superb form throughout 2025.

She began her Diamond League season with a commanding win in Doha (9:05.08), ahead of Yavi (9:05.26) and Almayew (9:09.27). She followed it up with another win in Oslo (9:02.60), again beating Yavi and Marwa Bouzayani of Tunisia.

In Paris on June 20, she clocked a then-world-leading 8:53.37 to claim her third circuit win. At the Zurich final, she secured her second consecutive Diamond League trophy with a time of 8:57.24, beating Norah Jeruto and Bouzayani.

Meanwhile, Reynold Cheruiyot took bronze in the men’s 1500m, finishing in 3:34.25 behind Portugal’s Isaac Nader (3:34.10) and Britain’s Jake Wightman (3:34.12). Former world champion Timothy Cheruiyot placed fourth in 3:34.50.

Reynold, who recently became a father, dedicated his medal to his four-month-old daughter.

“This is the beginning of better things to come. I promise to go for gold at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow,” he said.

Elsewhere, Julius Yego, the 2015 world javelin champion, qualified for the final after launching a season-best throw of 85.96m in Group B.

The automatic qualifying mark was 84.50m. Yego finished second in his group, behind Anderson Peters of Grenada, who threw 89.53m.

He now heads into the final against a stacked field, including Julian Weber of Germany, world champion Neeraj Chopra of India, Peters and Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan.