African Championships silver medallist Mercy Chepng’eno will be aiming to restore Kenya’s dominance in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase when she lines up in the final at the World Under-20 Championships at Hayward Field early Saturday morning (5.42 am Kenyan time).
Chepng’eno underlined her title credentials with a commanding performance in the heats, cruising to victory in Heat One in 9:36.19 to qualify comfortably for the final. Only the top eight athletes progressed from the preliminary round.
The Kenyan finished well ahead of Ethiopia’s Wosane Asefa, who clocked 9:56.36 for second place, while Sweden’s Fanny Szalkai was third in 9:57.93. After safely booking her place in the final, Chepng’eno said her focus now shifts to winning Kenya the gold medal.
“I felt very well today and just focused on advancing to the final,” she said. “I plan to run faster in the final and bring gold to Kenya.”
Chepng’eno has steadily established herself as one of Kenya’s brightest young steeplechase prospects. Last year, she claimed silver at the African U18/U20 Championships in Abeokuta, Nigeria, after clocking 9:32.9 to finish behind compatriot Anatasha Cheptoo (9:27.8), with Sharon Chepkemoi (9:34.3) completing a Kenyan podium sweep.
She followed that with another silver medal at the African Senior Championships in Accra, Ghana, in May, crossing the line in 9:30.47 behind fellow Kenyan Diana Chepkemoi (9:29.19). Chepng’eno also made her Diamond League debut in Doha on June 19, finishing 14th in the women’s 5,000m in 15:30.00.
Kenya will have two athletes in the final after Cheptoo also progressed, finishing second in Heat Two in 9:51.02 behind Ethiopia’s Almaz Yohannis, who won in 9:42.45.
Cheptoo arrives in the medal race on the back of a consistent season, having finished seventh at the Addis Ababa Grand Prix (10:16.86), fourth at the Kip Keino Classic (10:03.49), third at the National Police Service Track and Field Championships (10:15.0), and third at the National Championships, where she posted a personal best of 9:33.80.
The Kenyan pair will be looking to reclaim the world under-20 title for the country. Betty Chelangat was the last Kenyan to win the event, striking gold at the 2022 World Under-20 Championships in Cali, Colombia, after Teresiah Gateri had also claimed the crown on home soil in Nairobi in 2021. However, Kenya surrendered the title at the 2024 championships in Lima, Peru, where Ethiopia’s Aleshign Baweke emerged victorious.
