Peruth Chemutai isn’t just back—she’s roaring into form.
The 25-year-old Ugandan steeplechase star delivered a standout performance at the Wanda Diamond League meet in Paris on Friday night, finishing second in the women’s 3000m steeplechase with a season-best time of 8:54.41.
It was a gutsy run. Chemutai stayed in the mix throughout, then surged on the final lap, pushing the pace in a bid for victory.
But Kenya’s Faith Cherotich had other plans.
The 20-year-old Olympic and world bronze medallist held her ground before breaking away late, winning in 8:53.37—the fastest time in the world this year. The result pushed Cherotich up to sixth on the all-time list.
“It’s great that I have already won three Diamond Leagues this season being the youngest in the field,” Cherotich said afterward. “The big goal are the World Championships in Tokyo and I want to win.”
Chemutai’s second-place finish now ranks her as the world’s No. 2 this season. It’s a strong signal ahead of August’s World Athletics Championships that the Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist is back among the elite.
Uganda Athletics, the sport’s governing body, posted a tribute on X (formerly Twitter), praising Chemutai for her result: “Congratulations to Peruth Chemutai for an incredible season best of 8:54.41, finishing 2nd in the women’s 3000m steeplechase at the Wanda Diamond League. Hats off to Kenya’s Cherotich for a stunning win with a world-lead of 8:53.37.”
Ethiopia’s Sembo Almayew, the current world under-20 champion, finished third in 9:01.22. It was a high-quality race, with three of the world’s best athletes battling in one of the deepest fields seen this year.
Elsewhere in Paris, Nigeria’s world record holder and 2022 world champion Tobi Amusan was edged out in the 100m hurdles. American Alaysha Johnson Stark, 24, led from the start and took the win in 12.21 seconds—slicing a tenth of a second off her personal best.
The night also saw Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma return to the track in the non-Diamond League men’s 3000m steeplechase. Running for the first time since a fall at the Paris Olympics, the world record holder clocked 8:07.01 to take the win—a solid comeback at the same venue where he ran 7:52.11 last year to break the world record.
For Chemutai, Friday night was more than a fast race. It was a statement: she’s still one to watch.
