World Athletics Championships 2022: Norah Jeruto wins 3000m steeplechase with 3rd-fastest time in history, celebrates like THIS

Steeplechaser Norah Jeruto came up with a cool way to celebrate her victory at the end of a sizzling hot day at the world championships. A pool party. Everyone was invited, too.

The Kenyan-born runner who recently began representing Kazakhstan moved to the backstretch following her win Wednesday and took the plunge – straight into the event’s water pit. A moment later, the Jeruto was joined by her two Ethiopian competitors, runner-up Werkuha Getachew and bronze medalist Mekides Abebe. Not wanting to be left out, Legend, the mascot for these championships, jumped in, too.

WHAT A RACE

Four national records, first time three women finish inside 9 minutes.

And the world title in a championship record time in 8:53.02 for Norah Jeruto !#WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/YWGYo5bYaW

— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) July 21, 2022

Jeruto finished in a championship-record 8 minutes, 53.02 seconds to hold off Getachew by 1.59 seconds. “The weather was good here. I enjoyed my race today,” Jeruto said. “At the starting line, I was afraid of my friends from Ethiopia. They are also champions like me so I was scared of them. I tried my best to win the race and it was not easy. It was tough.”

It was a tough day for Emma Coburn, a two-time world medalist in the event who faded late and finished eighth. “Disappointing,” Coburn said. “I went for it and it didn’t pay off.”

It was a warm one at Hayward Field with temperatures hovering around 91 degrees Fahrenheit (33 Celsius). To stay cool, many athletes donned ice vests before competing, wore sunglasses while racing and wrapped cold towels around their shoulders when finished.

But Jeruto may have had the best solution – go for a swim and splash around. The steeplechase was one of two events that handed out medals on a night where the stands were far from packed. Feng Bin of China was a surprise winner in the women’s discus, beating runner-up Sandra Perkovic of Croatia and Olympic champion Valarie Allman, who finished with bronze. Feng earned the victory with her first throw.

“Truly, it’s bittersweet,” said Allman, who earned the first world medal in the women’s discus for the US. “I just couldn’t find that big throw. It’s good to walk out with a medal.”

(with PTI inputs)