By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2023 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
BUDAPEST (23-Aug) — American Emma Coburn, the 2017 world steeplechase champion, was not able to advance to the final because of a hamstring injury. In eight straight global championships, stretching back to 2011, she had made the final. Tonight, in heat 2, she finished tenth in 9:41.52.
“I haven’t really talked about it because I’m not one to make excuses, but two weeks leading into USA’s I hurt my hamstring,” Coburn told Race Results Weekly.
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“(I) was in a good amount of pain in Eugene. And after USA’s I took a month of good training, but not doing any track work, trying not to stress that hamstring too much.”
She continued: “On the first water jump (tonight) I hurt the same part of my hamstring again. I think when that happens I lose all power out of that leg. Just feels like I’m telling my body to do things that it just doesn’t have the tools to do.”
All three Kenyans –Jackline Chepkoech, Beatrice Chepkoech, and Faith Cherotich– advanced to the final, as did reigning European champion, Luiza Gega of Albania. The lone American to advance was Courtney Wayment who took fourth in the first heat with no drama.
“I think it was really good,” Wayment said of her prelim. “I did exactly that: just get top five. Whatever you have to do to get top five, you get top five.”
Meanwhile, U.S. champion, Kristlin Gear was only seventh in the third heat, clocking 9:30.61 to finish well behind heat winner Chepkoech.
