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Winfred Mutile Yavi seemed to be cursed by fourth. She placed fourth in the 2019 and 2022 world championships in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. She owned the fourth-fastest time in the world for the event this year (9:04.38) leading up to the world championships in Budapest.
But during Sunday night’s final, the Kenyan-born runner for Bahrain wielded the powers of four to earn a spot on the podium. With four laps to go, Yavi positioned herself behind the leaders to make a last-lap surge and pass Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech, the world record holder in the event. Yavi, who’s only 23, proved her fate was certainly not fourth. She was first. Yavi secured the first ever gold medal for her home country in a new world leading time of 8:54.29, the number five all-time in the event.
Chepkoech, who missed last year’s championships due to injury, crossed the line a few seconds…
