Earlier this afternoon, the Guardian revealed that the Athletics Integrity Unit were investigating the "steeplechase world record holder and Olympic gold medallist, Ruth Jebet." One among a number of athletes under investigation, Jebet's world-record was this evening broken by the Kenyan athlete Beatrice Chepkoech
Racing at this evening's IAAF Diamond League meet in Monaco, Chepkoech didn't merely break the record, she obliterated it.
WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!
Beatrice Chepkoech has just SMASHED the world record for the women’s 3000m steeplechase🔥
🚨8:44.32🚨
📷@MeetingHerculis pic.twitter.com/AGh5LvDBHg— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) July 20, 2018
Shaving 8 seconds off Jebet's time, it is made all the more incredible when one considers what Jebet is now facing on account of her scurrilous dealing in performance enhancing drugs:
The 21-year-old Jebet, who competes for Bahrain and was hailed as Golden Ruth when she won the women’s 3,000m steeplechase at Rio, had tested positive for the blood booster EPO.
Yes she is a Super Superstar!!! Beatrice Chepkoech SMASHES the world record for the women’s 3000m steeplechase by 8 SECONDS!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽 #MonacoDiamondLeague #Athletics #Sports pic.twitter.com/1f23aKiZnK
— Carol Radull (@CarolRadull) July 20, 2018
Although it would be disingenuous to assume otherwise, it is interesting to note that among the number of people openly celebrating and congratulating Chepkoech on her astonishing run, few if any are making reference to the disgraced Jebet.
Prior to Jebet setting her world-record in 2016, the Russian athlete Gulnara Samitova-Galkina had set the record time 6 seconds slower than Jebet's time of 8:52.78 at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Steadily improving on the original record-breaking time she had set in the Russian city of Tula in 2003.
You can watch the closing stage of Chepkoech's astonishing run below.
NEW WORLD RECORD!!!
Beatrice Chepkoech breaks the 3000m sc record by 8 seconds running 8:44.32. pic.twitter.com/ZervINhZU1— Eurosport (@eurosport) July 20, 2018
