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World Championship FInal, August 8 - Helsinki, FinlandAugust 9, 2005
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Results: World Championship Final, August 8 - Helsinki, Finland
| Pos | Time | Athlete (Birthdate) Nation |
| 1 | 9:18.24 | Docus Inzikuru (82-02-02) Uganda |
| 2 | 9:20.49 | Yekaterina Volkova (78-02-16) Russia |
| 3 | 9:26.95 | Jeruto Kiptum (81-12-12) Kenya |
| 4 | 9:33.30 | Korene Hinds (76-01-18) Jamaica |
| 5 | 9:37.39 | Salome Chepchumba (82-09-29) Kenya |
| 6 | 9:37.91 | Yelena Zadorozhnaya (77-12-03) Russia |
| 7 | 9:39.52 | Cristina Casandra (77-02-01) Romania |
| 8 | 9:39.66 | Mardrea Hyman (72-12-22) Jamaica |
| 9 | 9:46.72 | Elizabeth Jackson (77-10-27) USA |
| 10 | 9:47.62 | Bouchra Chaabi (80-09-22) Morocco |
| 11 | 9:48.48 | Yamina Bouchaouante (80-07-31) France |
| 12 | 9:48.97 | Minori Hayakari (72-11-29) Japan |
| 13 | 9:50.35 | Ines Monteiro (80-05-18) Portugal |
| 14 | 10:00.03 | Wioletta Janowska (77-06-09) Poland |
| 15 | 10:11.20 | Carrie Messner (77-06-07) USA |
Women's steeplechase in its third decade became part of the IAAF World Championships. After three heats on August 6, in which some major performers faltered, the 3000m steeple final was contested at Helsinki on August 8 near the end of a bad weather day.
That weather was characterized progressively as cold, rainy, windy, downpour, torrential, gale warning, monsoon season, and like a small hurricane. This led to next-day rescheduling of other events to permit safe operation of broadcast, measuring, and timing equipment. But some lady steeplers would first suffer, notably at the water jump.
Docus Inzikuru avoided the crowd, leading all the way to win Uganda's first-ever World Champs gold medal. The conditions were reflected by her decelerating kilometer splits of 2:57.98, 3:07.22, and 3:13.04 -- the latter a 9:39.12 pace.
Russia's Katerina Volkova, a good steepler since 1999, closed strong for a personal best and the silver medal. Kenya's Jeruto Kiptum got bronze and a national record only 51 days after her steeple debut.
There were other novices, fine flat-race runners who appeared to have taken up the event when it became evident that the its World Champs inaugural would not include history's two fastest: Gulnara Samitova and Alysa Turova. That decision had varied results.
Yelena Zadorozhnaya, the tiny Russian who had run 8:25.40 for the 3000m flat race, qualified for Helsinki in her first-ever steeple in July, then won the first World Champs heat in 9:32.96. But in the final she struggled at the soaked water jump barrier to settle for sixth.
Poland's Wioletta Janowska, another 2005 steepling convert, had run 1500m in 4:03; she won the second World Champs steeple heat but was next to last in the final.
Korene Hinds of Jamaica started steepling in April 2002 with a 10:27.2 run; she was almost a minute faster placing fourth at Helsinki in national record time. Fifth place went to Kenya's Salome Chepchumba who started steepling in June 2004.
Elizabeth Jackson, the senior entrant with big races since 1997 including four USA Championships, was a sentimental favorite. Her coach, Patrick Shane, had coached athletes who captured 22 USA championship medals from 1996 through 2005. That pair could seem destined for a Helsinki medal.
Jackson ended up ninth and Shane has revealed why: "She injured her foot the week after wining the USA Championships and missed 25 consecutive days of running. She ran her two races at the World Championships on one week of training and only 28 total miles of training for the month."
Shane added, "Elizabeth's efforts under difficult circumstances is to be applauded; she has been a true pioneer in the event and an inspiration to those of us that have followed women's steepleing over the years."
Jackson, always gracious, said "It's awesome to be a part of the first women's steeplechase at the world championships."
Carrie Messner, the other USA finalist, had run a personal best 9:39.68 for third behind Janowska and Hyman in the second -- a time that would have taken seventh and a $5000 prize in the finals, but there she finished last. After the race she noted that there were too few races [for USA post-collegiate steeplers] and she looked forward to extending the season with more races in Europe.
Messner's model could be Romania's Cristina Casandra, seventh at Helsinki, who consistently runs lots of sub-10 minute races (34 so far) to often lead IAAF rankings which determine who gets into the World Athletics Final September 9 at Monaco. Casandra is now ranked second to Inzikuru.
Athletes need six performances in the preceding 365 days to obtain a ranking. Some of the new summer 2005 steeplers lack enough races to be ranked.
Four USA steeplers have currently accumulated enough ranking points to be candidates for the WAF Final: Elizabeth Jackson, Lisa Galaviz, Carrie Messner, and Briana Shook. |
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