Latest news with #Yavi
Daily Tribune
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Tribune
Yavi Stuns Field with World-Leading Time in Eugene
TDT | Manama Winfred Yavi delivered a statement at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, storming to victory in the women's 3,000m steeplechase with the fastest time in the world this year. The Bahraini world and Olympic champion clocked 8:45.25 — a new meet record and her first sub-nine-minute run of the season. It was her first win of the 2025 Diamond League campaign after two runner-up finishes. Yavi beat her main rival Faith Cherotich by over three seconds, reversing the result from their previous encounters. Uganda's Peruth Chemutai took third in a fast-paced race where the top eight runners all posted personal or seasonal bests. The 25-year-old shattered her own previous meet record and came within a whisker of her personal best, which also stands as the Asian record and the second-fastest time in history. Yavi is expected to lead Bahrain's charge at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September.
Daily Tribune
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Tribune
Yavi Second in Oslo, Eyes Tokyo Title Defence
TDT | Manama The Bahraini star posts her season's best in Diamond League Bahrain's Winfred Yavi, the reigning world and Olympic champion, delivered her season's best performance with a spirited second-place finish in the women's 3,000 metres steeplechase at the Oslo Bislett Games in Norway on Thursday night. The race was part of the Wanda Diamond League, track and field's premier global one-day meeting series. Yavi clocked 9:02.76, narrowly missing out on victory to Kenya's Faith Cherotich, who won in 9:02.60—a new meeting record and the fastest time in the world this season. Familiar Rivals, Familiar Outcome The result mirrors their encounter at last month's Doha Diamond League, where Cherotich also edged Yavi for first place. On this occasion, the Bahraini pushed hard in the closing stages, making a move around the final bend, but the Kenyan held her off down the home straight. Yavi, 25, remained upbeat despite the narrow loss: 'Today, I executed the race exactly as I was planning with my coach… Now, I am looking forward to the next one, which will be in Eugene.' Focus Shifts to Tokyo Yavi is preparing for a crucial stretch of the season, with her sights firmly set on defending her world title at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September. She described the Oslo crowd as 'amazing' and reaffirmed that Tokyo remains the main goal. A former Diamond Trophy winner in 2023, Yavi has yet to break the nine-minute barrier this year, but her personal best of 8:44.39, set last season, remains the Asian and Bahraini record, and the second-fastest time in history for the women's steeplechase. Bouzayani Third as Field Stretches Out Marwa Bouzayani of Tunisia claimed third in Oslo with 9:06.84, some distance behind the top two. Germany's Lea Meyer followed in fourth with 9:09.21, while Lomi Muleta of Ethiopia completed the top five in 9:13.44. The race featured 14 athletes. Balew Posts Personal Best in 5,000m In the men's 5,000 metres, Bahrain's Birhanu Balew also ran his season's best, finishing 12th with a time of 12:56.45. While not among the front-runners, the performance marked a key progression for Balew, who is expected to represent Bahrain at the World Championships alongside Yavi. Building Momentum Ahead of Worlds The Oslo results serve as a valuable benchmark for Bahrain's top athletes as they prepare for Tokyo. With both Yavi and Balew rounding into form, Bahrain will approach the world championships with quiet confidence, buoyed by proven pedigree and clear intent.
Daily Tribune
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Tribune
Quarter Mile Queen Returns
TDT | Manama Bahrain's Olympic medalists Naser wins 400m gold, Yavi takes steeplechase silver in Doha From the Gun Salwa Eid Naser's incredible 2025 season continued in style on Friday night as the Bahraini sprinter stormed to victory in the women's 400m at the Doha Diamond League. The Olympic gold medallist clocked 49.83 seconds to win convincingly ahead of Poland's Natalia Bukowiecka (50.92) and Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands (51.12), under the floodlights of Suheim bin Hamad Stadium. Naser, who already owns the world-leading time this year with a sensational 48.67, looked relaxed and in rhythm, reminding the field why she remains one of the most feared one-lap runners in the world. Her dominant display set a high bar for the rest of the meet. Yavi Just Misses Out Yavi in action in Doha Bahrain's Winfred Yavi came agonisingly close to another major victory in the women's 3000m steeplechase. In a race decided in the final strides, Yavi finished second in 9:05.26 — just 0.18 seconds behind Kenya's Faith Cherotich, who took gold in 9:05.08. Ethiopia's Sembo Almayew claimed third place in 9:09.27. Yavi, the reigning Olympic champion, remains a clear contender in the event and will take heart from another strong finish against elite competition, ensuring Bahrain's star presence continued to shine. Big Money, Big Performances The 2025 Doha meet marked the third stop in this year's Diamond League, delivering a night of elite-level athletics in the Qatari capital. For the first time in the series, athletes who break records at any Diamond League event receive a $5,000 bonus, part of a record prize pool of $9.24 million across the season. This fresh incentive helped bring out the best from a field packed with Olympic and world champions, raising the stakes and intensity. High Jump Is Back Doha also saw the return of the men's high jump, absent from last year's edition. In total, the meet featured 14 events — 8 for men and 6 for women — attracting packed stands and high energy from start to finish. With Naser surging and Yavi pushing the pace, Bahrain's athletics stars look set to make even more noise as the Diamond League heats up and the road to global glory continues.
