Leonard Chemutai finished second in the men’s 3000m steeplechase heat 1 with a time of 8:18.19, securing his place in the finals.
The Heat 1 race was won by Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco, who is the defending Olympic champion in the event, with a time of 8:17.90.
Chemutai’s qualification marks another milestone in his rapidly ascending career. Just recently, in June 2024, he clinched the gold medal in the 3000m steeplechase at the African Championships in Douala, Cameroon.
The race in Heat 1 also saw Ethiopia’s Getnet Wale finish third, while Daniel Arce of Spain and Ahmed Jaziri of Tunisia secured fourth and fifth places, respectively.
The three athletes will join Chemutai and El Bakkali in the final that will be held on Wednesday August 7th at 10:43 EAT
Before the Paris Olympics, Chemutai finished seventh in the Men’s 3000m steeplechase at the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, and fourth at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia.
He also won the U20 classic mountain race at the Trail World Championships in 2022, followed by a victory in the senior race at the same championships in 2023.
In 2023, Chemutai competed in the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, where he qualified for the final of the 3000m steeplechase and finished twelfth.
His recent victory at the African Championships and his strong showing in the Olympic heats indicate that he is peaking at the right time.
Meanwhile Tarsis Orogot won his 200m heats to secure a spot in the semi-finals.
