Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai has won gold in the 3,000m steeplechase with a personal best of 9:01:45 2020, bringing home the first-ever medal by a female Ugandan Athlete in the Olympics.
Chemutai, who came into the race ranked tenth globally, edged out Team USA’s Courtney Frerichs, who won silver and Kenya’s Hyvin Kiyeng, who clinched bronze.
All of Uganda’s 10 medals at the Olympic Games have come from men, one in 1972 by John Akii-Bua in Munich and the other from Stephen Kiprotich in London 2012.
Chemutai’s win Puts Uganda in position 43 on the medal table with One Gold, One Silver and One Bronze medal so far.
China still leads the table with 32 Gold medals, 21 Silver and 16 Bronze, ahead of the United States of America which has 25 Gold Medals, 30 Silver and 22 Bronze.
Dorcus Inzikuru remains the most successful steeplechase athlete in the 3000m category, she won three Gold medals including the 2005 World Championships (9:18:24), 2005 World Athletics Final, Gold and 2006 Commonwealth Games(9:19:51). She however never won an Olympic medal.
