# 2013 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 3000 metres steeplechase

The women's 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Luzhniki Stadium on 10–13 August.
No Kenyan or Ethiopian had won the Women's Steeplechase at the World Championships. It became quickly obvious that was going to change. From the gun the three Kenyans and the three Ethiopians formed a pack that separated from the rest of the field. At the beginning of the 6th lap Sofia Assefa, running at the back of the back, tripped over a barrier and fell, losing several seconds to the field. She got back up and tried to catch back up to the pack. Hyvin Kiyeng Jepkemoi was the first to fall out the back, passed by Assefa. But Milcah Chemos Cheywa and Lydiah Chepkurui were on the front of train, stringing out the Ethiopians. Chemos, running determined after two successive bronze medals, led out the final lap, with Assefa chasing her teammates. Chemos held her slight lead all the way to the finish. Assefa caught Hiwot Alayew just before the water jump and continued to gain on Chepkurui. At the last barrier it looked like Assefa had the momentum to go by, but she seemed to lose a step after landing, Chepkuri ran away to the silver and Assefa making an impressive comeback to get bronze.

## Records

Prior to the competition, the records were as follows:
| World record | Gulnara Samitova-Galkina (RUS) | 8:58.81 | Beijing, People's Republic of China | 17 August 2008 |
| Championship record | Yekaterina Volkova (RUS) | 9:06.57 | Osaka, Japan | 27 August 2007 |
| World leading | Lydiah Chepkurui (KEN) | 9:13.75 | Doha, Qatar | 10 May 2013 |
| African record | Milcah Chemos Cheywa (KEN) | 9:07.14 | Oslo, Norway | 7 June 2012 |
| Asian record | Liu Nian (CHN) | 9:26.25 | Wuhan, People's Republic of China | 2 November 2007 |
| North, Central American and Caribbean record | Jennifer Barringer (USA) | 9:12.50 | Berlin, Germany | 17 August 2009 |
| South American record | Sabine Heitling (BRA) | 9:41.22 | London, United Kingdom | 25 July 2009 |
| European record | Gulnara Samitova-Galkina (RUS) | 8:58.81 | Beijing, People's Republic of China | 17 August 2008 |
| Oceanian record | Donna MacFarlane (AUS) | 9:18.35 | Oslo, Norway | 6 June 2008 |

## Qualification standards

| A time | B time |
| 9:43.00 | 9:48.00 |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Round |
| 10 August 2013 | 17:20 | Heats |
| 13 August 2013 | 21:25 | Final |
All times are local times (UTC+4)

## Results

| KEY: | Q | Qualified | q | Fastest non-qualifiers | NR | National record | PB | Personal best | SB | Seasonal best | WL | World leading |

### Heats

Qualification: First 5 in each heat (Q) and the next 5 fastest (q) advanced to the final.
| Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 2 | Etenesh Diro | Ethiopia (ETH) | 9:24.02 | Q |
| 2 | 2 | Lydiah Chepkurui | Kenya (KEN) | 9:24.19 | Q |
| 3 | 2 | Hiwot Alayew | Ethiopia (ETH) | 9:24.49 | Q |
| 4 | 2 | Antje Möldner-Schmidt | Germany (GER) | 9:29.27 | Q, SB |
| 5 | 2 | Silvia Danekova | Bulgaria (BUL) | 9:35.66 | Q, NR |
| 6 | 2 | Ancuța Bobocel | Romania (ROM) | 9:35.78 | q, SB |
| 7 | 2 | Eilish McColgan | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) | 9:35.82 | q, PB |
| 8 | 1 | Milcah Chemos Cheywa | Kenya (KEN) | 9:36.16 | Q |
| 9 | 1 | Hyvin Kiyeng Jepkemoi | Kenya (KEN) | 9:36.19 | Q |
| 10 | 1 | Sofia Assefa | Ethiopia (ETH) | 9:36.66 | Q |
| 11 | 1 | Valentyna Zhudina | Ukraine (UKR) | 9:37.79 | Q |
| 12 | 2 | Diana Martín | Spain (ESP) | 9:39.22 | q, SB |
| 13 | 1 | Salima El Ouali Alami | Morocco (MAR) | 9:39.95 | Q |
| 14 | 2 | Natalya Gorchakova | Russia (RUS) | 9:42.12 | q |
| 15 | 1 | Gesa Felicitas Krause | Germany (GER) | 9:42.19 | q |
| 16 | 2 | Katarzyna Kowalska | Poland (POL) | 9:44.12 | |
| 17 | 1 | Amina Bettiche | Algeria (ALG) | 9:45.50 | |
| 18 | 1 | Sandra Eriksson | Finland (FIN) | 9:45.57 | |
| 19 | 2 | Ashley Higginson | United States (USA) | 9:45.78 | SB |
| 20 | 1 | Shalaya Kipp | United States (USA) | 9:45.97 | |
| 21 | 1 | Beverly Ramos | Puerto Rico (PUR) | 9:49.60 | |
| 22 | 1 | Lyudmila Lebedeva | Russia (RUS) | 9:49.64 | |
| 23 | 1 | Sudha Singh | India (IND) | 9:51.05 | |
| 24 | 2 | Gladys Kipkemoi | Kenya (KEN) | 9:54.22 | |
| 25 | 2 | Nicole Bush | United States (USA) | 9:58.03 | |
| 26 | 1 | Charlotta Fougberg | Sweden (SWE) | 9:59.17 | |
| 27 | 1 | Natalya Aristarkhova | Russia (RUS) | 10:10.26 | |
| | 2 | Bouaasayriya Kaltoum | Morocco (MAR) | DQ | |
| | 2 | Fabienne Schlumpf | Switzerland (SUI) | DQ | |

### Final

The final was held at 21:25.
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| | Milcah Chemos Cheywa | Kenya (KEN) | 9:11.65 | WL |
| | Lydiah Chepkurui | Kenya (KEN) | 9:12.55 | PB |
| | Sofia Assefa | Ethiopia (ETH) | 9:12.84 | SB |
| 4 | Hiwot Alayew | Ethiopia (ETH) | 9:15.25 | SB |
| 5 | Etenesh Diro | Ethiopia (ETH) | 9:16.97 | SB |
| 6 | Hyvin Kiyeng Jepkemoi | Kenya (KEN) | 9:22.05 | PB |
| 7 | Valentyna Zhudina | Ukraine (UKR) | 9:33.73 | |
| 8 | Antje Möldner-Schmidt | Germany (GER) | 9:34.06 | |
| 9 | Gesa Felicitas Krause | Germany (GER) | 9:37.11 | SB |
| 10 | Eilish McColgan | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) | 9:37.33 | |
| 11 | Diana Martín | Spain (ESP) | 9:38.30 | SB |
| 12 | Natalya Gorchakova | Russia (RUS) | 9:38.57 | SB |
| 13 | Ancuța Bobocel | Romania (ROM) | 9:53.35 | |
| 14 | Silvia Danekova | Bulgaria (BUL) | 9:58.57 | |
| 15 | Salima El Ouali Alami | Morocco (MAR) | 10:08.36 | |