Report17 Aug 2009


Event Report - Women's 3000m Steeplechase - Final

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Marta Dominguez of Spain crosses the line to win the gold medal in the women's 3000m steeplechase at the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics (© Getty Images)

Never underestimate Marta Dominguez and her headband of power. That is the lesson that many of the world's leading female steeplechasers - including Gulnara Galkina - will take away from tonight's final after being part of a scintillating 3000m Steeplechase final.

Despite being the world leader coming into Berlin, 33-year-old Dominguez was still very much a newcomer to the event and tonight's final was only her ninth race ever over the barriers. There was also an element of doubt hanging over Dominguez, as she fell in last year's Olympic final and this was just her second championship competing in her new event.

But Dominguez was not even the favourite to win. Many people felt world record-holder and Olympic champion Gulnara Galkina would dominate the race, as she did in Beijing last year. An exciting last-lap burn up produced a result few saw coming.

There was a time - not so long ago, in fact - when a 3:01.26 first kilometre would have strung out a women's Steeplechase field. But on this occasion most of the finalists were still in close contact with early leader Galkina.

As the pace slowed in the second kilometre, Galkina found herself joined at the front by former World junior champion Gladys Kipkemboi of Kenya and they passed through 2km in 6:06.45. Galkina's team-mate Yuliya Zarudneva was also looking very good, along with Habiba Ghribi of Tunisia and USA's Jenny Barringer.

As the bell sounded, Galkina was not looking good as Zaudneva and Dominguez embarked on a battle of their own. Zarudneva maintained the lead for much of the last lap, but Dominguez drew level over the final barrier and kicked into her top gear to run away a clear winner, clocking a world-lead and Spanish record of 9:07.32 to go No.3 on the world all-time list.

Her move to the Steeplechase eventually proved a good one, and after picking up silver medals over 5000m at the 2001 and 2003 IAAF World Championships, Dominguez finally has the global track gold medal her talent and longevity deserves.

Zarudneva, the least experienced of the three Russian Steeplechase entrants, held on for silver, clocking a PB of 9:08.39, while little-known Kenyan Milcah Chemos impressed on the last lap to grab bronze in 9:08.57.

Galkina, however, will have to wait another two years for another attempt at winning her first World title. Despite running a season's best of 9:11.09, she finished outside of the medals in fourth.

Barringer, touted by many US fans as a medal hope, smashed her American record by 10 seconds with 9:12.50, but it was still only good enough for fifth. Ghribi set another Tunisian record in sixth (9:12.52), while Kenyan duo Ruth Bisibori (9:13.16) and Kipkemboi (9:14.62) were seventh and eighth respectively.

Germany's Antje Moldner ran 9:18.54, improving on the German record she set in the heats, but in a high-quality final it was only good enough for ninth place. Best marks-for-place were set by all finishers from fourth through to 12th making it clearly the highest quality women's Steeplechase race of all time. It was arguably one of the most exciting too.

Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF

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