Paris, Uganda — Tonight, Chemutai enters the final of the same event at the Paris Olympic Games, aiming to replicate her Tokyo triumph. It will be Chemutai's best-ever-turn around since the Tokyo Olympics.
Chemutai will face a formidable field of 15 athletes in the final, including Kenya's promising Faith Cherotich, Kazakhstan's Norah Jeruto, and reigning world champion Winfred Yavi Mutile of Bahrain. The 25-year-old will be hoping to write history as the first Ugandan to retain an Olympic title.
On Sunday, Chemutai solidified her statement as she bid to retain her title when she won heat one to qualify for today's final with the fastest time across all three Heats. She finished in 9 minutes 10.51 seconds, ahead of Kenya's Faith Cherotich (9:10.57) and Germany's Gesa Felicitas Krause, who recorded her season's best time of 9:10.68.
Before the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, no Ugandan female athlete had ever won a medal at the Olympics. That changed when Peruth Chemutai secured gold in the 3000-meter steeplechase, breaking a historic barrier.
Uganda has produced successful female athletes like Dorcus Inzikuru and Stella Chesang, yet none had experienced the joy of winning a medal at the world's most prestigious sports event until Chemutai's groundbreaking victory.
Since her gold in Tokyo, her journey has been fraught with challenges, including injuries and illnesses that have impacted her performance. Her struggles were evident at the Oregon 2022 World Athletics Championships, where she finished 11th in the 3000m steeplechase final.
A few weeks later, after recovering from a bacterial infection, she competed in the Commonwealth Games, only to sustain an injury mid-race, settling for a bronze medal.
In that race, Chemutai competed fiercely with Kenya's Jackline Chepkoech. Her exceptional technique in clearing barriers initially gave her an edge, but a fall with 600 meters remaining allowed Chepkoech to seize the gold.
The fall also cost Chemutai her speed in the final 400 meters, enabling England's Elizabeth Bird to overtake her, relegating Chemutai to third place. The bronze added to Uganda's medal tally, marking their fourth at the Games--three in athletics and one in boxing.
Despite these setbacks, the 25-year-old Chemutai has made a remarkable comeback this year. She started with a silver medal at the African Games in Accra, Ghana, in March 2024, followed by a gold medal in Eugene's Hayward Field in May, setting a new national record of 8:55.09.
Uganda's results and schedule today
11: 05 am: Winnie Nanyondo finished 10th in women's 1500 heats (4:07.6)
10:14 pm: Peruth Chemutai (Women's 3000m Steeplechase Final)
