Winfred Yavi delivered another near-record performance at the Prefontaine Classic but clarified she is not chasing Beatrice Chepkoech's world record for now.
Winfred Yavi has eyed Beatrice Chepkoech’s world record for a while now, and seemingly, every fast race seems like an attack on the record, but that is different for the Kenyan-born Bahraini.
Beatrice Chepkoech’s world record stands at 8:44.32 and was set at the Diamond League Meeting in Monaco in 2018.
Winfred Yavi is the only woman to have come close to the record, having clocked a splendid 8:44.39 at the Diamond League Meeting in Rome in 2024.
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At the just-concluded Prefontaine Classic, it seemed as if Winfred Yavi was going for the world record due to the fast pace of the race, but she has refuted those claims. Yavi clocked another fast time, crossing the finish line in a world-leading time of 8:45.25.
Winfred Yavi Not Going for Beatrice Chepkoech’s World Record Just Yet
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Speaking in an interview after the race, Winfred Yavi revealed that competing at the Hayward Field in Eugene, she only wanted to execute the race according to plan.
Yavi pointed out that she had prior discussions with her coach, who advised her to run her race and unleash the finishing kick when it mattered, and that is what she did.
Winfred Yavi also expressed her excitement, having claimed her first win of the season, noting that she is slowly getting back into shape.
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She is the defending world champion, having won the World Championships steeplechase title at the 2023 global showpiece in Budapest, Hungary and expressed her desire to defend her title this year.
However, Winfred Yavi is aware of the tough competition awaiting her with the likes of Faith Cherotich and Peruth Chemutai looking to give her a hard time.
“Honestly, I just wanted to come and execute whatever I had in my body, and I knew the race was going to be fast. Though I just came in and executed the plan that I had with my coach. The plan was to come and run my own race and dig in towards the finish,” Winfred Yavi said as per Runner Space.
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“Well, I came here ready; the plan was to execute what we planned with the coach. I’m happy that it has worked, and I’m so grateful for the results. I’m going to follow what the coach tells me and do the workouts. I really want to defend my title, and I know it’s going to be tough.”
Winfred Yavi added that she really loved the crowd, noting that the fans kept them going and that every step counted when they cheered them on.