At the 9th stage of the Diamond League in Eugene, seven of the top ten finishers from the Paris 2024 Olympics lined up for the women’s 3000m steeplechase, including all three Olympic medalists.
The 9th leg of the Diamond League was held in Eugene, a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. The competition took place on July 5 and drew the attention of many top names in the world of athletics.
One clear indication of this star-studded event was the lineup for the women’s 3000m steeplechase. All the runners who made the TOP-5 at last year’s Paris Olympics were there – gold medalist Winfred Yavi from Bahrain, silver medalist Peruth Chemutai from Uganda, and bronze medalist Faith Cherotich from Kenya. Also present were Alice Finot of France and Sembo Almayew of Ethiopia, who placed fourth and fifth respectively in Paris.
Among those on the starting line was Nora Jeruto, who obtained Kazakhstani citizenship in 2018. Notably, she became world champion in 2022 while competing for Kazakhstan. More recently, at the end of May, she claimed two gold medals at the 26th Asian Championships in the Korean city of Gumi – in the 5000m and 3000m steeplechase.
Nora Jeruto’s July 5 performance shows that she is gradually regaining her form as she prepares for the World Athletics Championships set to take place this September in Tokyo.
In Eugene, she finished fourth with a time of 8 minutes and 59.46 seconds – her best result since her victory at the 2022 World Championships.
At this 9th stage of the Diamond League, the only runners to finish ahead of Nora were the three Olympic medalists. First place went to Olympic champion Winfred Yavi from Bahrain – 8:45.25. Second was Olympic bronze medalist Faith Cherotich from Kenya – 8:48.71. Third place went to Olympic silver medalist Peruth Chemutai from Uganda – 8:51.77.
At the Paris Olympics, Jeruto placed ninth. Now, she has taken a kind of revenge on several athletes who had outrun her at the Games. Sembo Almayew of Ethiopia finished fifth in Eugene – 8:59.90. Alice Finot of France came in tenth – 9:09.84. Lomi Muleta of Ethiopia, who had placed eighth in Paris, finished only fourteenth – 9:20.46.
In the 2025 world rankings, Nora Jeruto currently holds fifth place in the women’s 3000m steeplechase and is considered one of the top contenders for a high finish at the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo.
In the photo: July 5. Nora Jeruto before the race in Eugene.
