A general view of a Women's 3000m Steeplechase (© Getty Images)
It will be an important moment in the development of women’s events in our sport when the gun fires at 6.15pm tonight in the stadium in Grosseto, to start the inaugural women’s 3000m steeplechase at an IAAF Championship.
A large field of 45 athletes have entered this historic race to be held at the 10th IAAF World Junior Championships tonight.
It marks the fourth new event for women during the IAAF era. In the mid-80s women’s walks were gradually added to IAAF competitions, followed by the triple jump in the early ‘90s then pole vault in the late ‘90s.
Steeplechase will make its senior IAAF debut next year in Helsinki and it is hoped at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Introduction dates of new women’s events during the IAAF World Championships era:
WALKS
World Juniors – 1986
World Championships – 1987
Olympics – 1992
TRIPLE JUMP
World Juniors - 1992
World Indoors - 1993
World Championships – 1993
Olympics – 1996
POLE VAULT
World Indoors - 1997
World Juniors - 1998
World Championships – 1999
Olympics – 2000
STEEPLECHASE
World Juniors - 2004
World Championships – 2005
