Kenyan-born Norah Jeruto won world gold for Kazakhstan in the women’s 3000m steeplechase on Wednesday.
Jeruto clocked the third fastest time in history and a championship record of 8min 53.02sec for the victory at Hayward Field, with Ethiopian Werkuha Getachew claiming silver in a national record of 8:54.61.
A second Ethiopian, Mekides Abebe, made the most of a mistake by Kenyan-born Bahraini Winfred Mutile Yavi on the final water barrier, to snatch bronze (8:56.08).
Jeruto, 26, was the world’s fastest steepler last year but could not compete at the Olympics while in the process of switching her nationality from Kenya to Kazakhstan.
Before the switch, Jeruto was the world’s second-fastest steepler in 2018 and fourth-fastest in 2019.
Now, she’s the first Kazakh athlete to win a world outdoor track and field title.
According to Nation Newspaper, Jeruto’s win has earned her 250,000 Euros (Sh30.2 million) courtesy of the Kazakhstan government through their award scheme for excelling athletes. Compared to Kenya where a gold medallist is rewarded with Sh1m, Jeruto will presumably be happy with her shift of citizenship as she smiles all the way to the bank.
Source-https://uzalendonews.co.ke/
Kenyan-born Athlete Norah Jeruto Wins Gold For Kazakhstan
