RIO DE JANEIRO – Former Illinois State women's track and field standout Aisha Praught placed 14th in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase finals at the 2016 Olympics Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
Praught become the first Jamaican to compete in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase final. In the semi-final race Saturday, Praught experienced a controversy. As Praught was on the fourth and final lap, she collided with two other runners. Etenesh Diro of Ethiopia tripped and fell, losing her right shoe, while Praught and Sara Louise Treacy of Ireland, who was running behind Diro, collapsed. The trio quickly returned to their feet trying to make up ground. Diro finished the race without her right shoe in seventh place. Praught finished eighth.
Following the race, Praught, Treacy and Diro all filed appeals for video review. The track referee and jury of appeals met and examined the video, and ultimately decided to advance the trio to the final round.
In the finals, Ruth Jebet of Bahrain won the gold with a time of 8:59.75, followed by Hyvin Jepkemoi of Kenya with a time of 9:07.12. Emma Coburn of the United States took the bronze, becoming the first American to medal in the women's steeplechase. Coburn broke the American record at a time of 9:07.63 and holds the eighth fastest women's steeple of all-time.
Praught finished 14th, with a time of 9:34.20.
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