Praught-Leer makes history with first global steeplechase medal for Jamaica

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Her close friend and training partner, Emma Coburn, captured the 3,000-meter steeplechase title in August at the IAAF World Outdoor Championships in London, and now Aisha Praught-Leer has an international gold medal of her own.

Praught-Leer, an Under Armour professional athlete representing Jamaica, produced a strong surge in the final lap Wednesday to run past Kenya’s Celliphine Chepteek Chespol to capture the Commonwealth Games championship at Carrara Stadium in Gold Coast, Australia.

Praught-Leer overcame a two-second deficit in the final 400 meters to prevail in 9 minutes, 21 seconds, just off her national record 9:19.29 from last year at the Diamond League Meeting in Doha, Qatar.

Chespol secured silver in 9:22.61 and fellow Kenyan Purity Cherotich Kirui captured bronze in 9:25.74.

“If we don’t win a gold in the 100, we’ll win one in the steeplechase. We’re just switching it up,” Praught-Leer told Reuters.

“I just put in the work every day and believe that I can race anyone.”

Praught-Leer, who competed at Illinois State, became the first Jamaican athlete, female or male, to secure any steeplechase medal in a global competition.

Her victory was the first by a Jamaican woman in any distance event at Commonwealth Games since Inez Turner in the 800 in 1994.

Kenya had swept the steeplechase podium at the past two Commonwealth Games, with Uganda and Australia accounting for the medals in the event’s debut at the competition in 2006.

Praught-Leer, who lives and trains in Colorado with Kaela Edwards and Coburn under coach Joe Bosshard, placed 14th in the event at the 2016 Olympics. She endured disqualifications at the past two World Outdoor Championships, before setting national indoor records in the 1,500 and 3,000 in February.