The women’s steeplechase is a new event on the women’s calendar. Seriously, it is less than 30 years old. In 1991, when we used Carla Borovicka on the cover of American Athletics, in a 3000m steeplechase exhibition, we had no idea how the event would go.
Emma Coburn takes her 3rd Olympic Trials, ninth US title! photo by Kevmofoto
And now we have Emma Coburn and Courtney Frerichs. Both racers, both WC medalists, Emma Coburn, I am afraid does not get the respect she deserves. In July 2014, Emma broke the AR in Glasgow, Scotland, but due to no drug testing, she never got the record. I went to interview her, and I teared up, realizing how big a deal it was, and how hard that she had worked for it. It would be another year before Emma Coburn took the AR and showed the world just how good she was and is!
An Olympic medal, a world championship medal, 3 Olympic Trials wins and Nine US title wins. What is in store for Emma in Tokyo?
Special thanks to Sean MacPherson, a member of the SOJC Track Bureau, managed by Professor Lori Shontz, and doing daily stories for the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials!
By Sean MacPherson
RunBlogRun
Expectations were high for the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, a race with four athletes under the Olympic Standard and two top-10 all-time performers, 2017 world champion Emma Coburn and U.S. record holder Courtney Frerichs.
Those expectations were met.
Emma Coburn won her ninth U.S. title, a record seventh in a row, in a meet record time of 9:09.41. Frerichs finished second in a season-best 9:11.79. And Val Constein finished third in 9:18.34.
The race produced nine athletes under the Olympic standard of 9:30 and showcased how strong the U.S. is in this event.
“Coming into this year, there were four of us with the standard, and then you just saw more and more women getting under 9:30,” said Frerichs. “I was not surprised to see so many women in the race. I think that’s a wonderful thing. That’s what you want.”
Frerichs led the race from the gun while Coburn took a more patient approach. With two laps to go, Frerichs and Coburn began to separate from the rest, and with 700 meters to go, Coburn began creating distance from Frerichs.
Emma Coburn, Leah Falland, photo by Kevmofoto
“It was knowing my strength and depth,” Coburn said. “I knew that I could push really hard the last two laps. Courtney started pushing it and it thinned out the pack, and I tried to stay behind her. I knew I had to really grind if I was to get some real estate between her.”
Around the same time, Leah Falland was emerging as the favorite in the battle for third place. Then she caught her toe on a barrier and fell on the next-to-last lap. Constein, who shattered her personal best by over seven seconds, claimed the final spot on the Olympic team.
“When Leah fell down, I did see that as an opportunity to have to take third,” Constein said. “Falling down and having to keep going is really difficult. I wish she hadn’t fallen ’cause it could have been a more exciting race, but the fact that she did give me an edge to sneak into that third place position.”
Emma Coburn goes airborne, photo by Kevmofoto
Fourth place went to BYU’s Courtney Wayment, who broke Frerich’s collegiate record with a time of 9:23.09.
After a commanding performance at the trials, the U.S. team is poised for a big showing in Tokyo.
“I think we’ll have a really strong team,” said Frerichs. “Emma and I have consistently been battling up at the front. Like you saw in London, that force up at the front helps. I think we’re ready to show something in Tokyo.”
