OLYMPICS: Chemutai bows out with personal best

Women 3000m Steeplechase

Ruth Jebet (BRN) 9:12.62

Sofia Aseffa (ETH) 9:18.75

Krausse Felicities (GER) 9:19.70

Peruth Chemuta (UGA) 9:31.03

Peruth Chemutai  bowed out of the 2016 Olympic Games medal haunt , after finishing in 7^th position in the first heat of the women 3000m steeplechase.

But despite the results, she left the track with her head held high, having improved on her personal best in her first international appearance in the technical race.

Having had difficulties in the longer distances, Chemutai shifted her focus to steeplechase early this year and was one of the surprise packages in the athletics team, having hit the qualifying mark after she ran 9 minutes 31.34 seconds in the Shanghai Diamond League in May.

And with this background, she approached the race with caution, always finding problems in going over the steeple as she moved away from the lead pack with Bahrain's Ruth Jebet increasing the pace to burn out her fellow competitors.

Losing speed over the hurdle and landing awkwardly in the steeple contributed to her falling behind the winner and by the time the bell went, she was tired but not willing to give up as she ran to finish in a new personal best of 9:31.03.

"With more training, I will even perform better," said Chemutai.

"I wanted to keep among the top runners but the speed was too much."

She becomes the second Ugandan to bow out of the Olympics in the track and field after Juliet Chekwel, who was on course for a national record, miscalculated the laps and failed to finish in the women  10000m race on day one.