 This event was born out of a wager
among Oxford students in 1850, and initially imitated horse racing. The first events were
held over 2 miles (3218 m), with hurdles, other obstacles and streams to cross on a route
across open country. Like jockeys, the runners were given weight handicaps!Steeplechasing was brought to the track as part of the English
championships in 1879. It entered the Olympic Games programme in 1900, with two events, at
2500m and 4000m, returned in 1904 over 2500m and took place over 2 miles (3200m) in 1908.
In 1954 the IAAF standardised the rules for this
speciality, and specified a 400m track, 0.914 m (3 ft) hurdles, plus a water jump (3.66m
wide, 0.70 m deep) in each lap, with a distance of 78 metres between each obstacle. For
the first time, official steeplechase world records were ratified.
Today the standard steeplechase distances are 2000m and
3000m.Kenya have won every Olympic Games steeplechase final since 1984 with Moses Kiptanui
capturing gold in three consecutive World Championships since 1991.
In 1998 the IAAF Council voted to introduce women's
steeplechase into the IAAF competition programme after it had been successfully included
on the Continental level. This procedure follows the pattern of the introduction of
women's pole vault and hammer throw. Therefore, this event, in principle, may become a
World Championship event in the year 2003.
The inaugural world record for women's 3000m steeplechase
was the best performance achieved under world record conditions as at 31 December 1999. |
