With the overall title already in her possesion, Milcah Chemos fought gallantly but lost out to Sofia Assefa in a closely contested final event of the series where there was also a World Junior record (subject to ratification) of 9:22.51 by Assefa's fellow Ethiopian Almas Ayana.
Chemos, who pulled ahead of 18-year-old Ayana just short of the line and who has contested all seven meetings, showed no signs of tiredness from having run the equivalent of a half marathon in her domination of the standings virtually throughout the global tour.
There was no relaxation from the 24-year-old Kenyan, even though, having already won the big overall purse and a Diamond Trophy, she attempted to claim a fifth overall victory.
After Mardrea Hyman hauled the field through the first kilometre in 3:02.66, the pace dropped dramatically and Chemos found herself leading when going through the penultimate split in 6:16.26.
There was still a pack of six in contention at that point, and also at the bell, but Assefa confidently led down the backstraight before pulling clear on the water jump to open up a winning lead and cross the line in a season's best 9:20.72.
Teenager Ayana was just a couple of strides behind at that point, but making a mess of clearing the barrier, saw herself tracked down by Chemos who beat her by 0.38sec in their close finish.
David Martin for the Samsung Diamond League
London, 14 August 2010
Milcah Chemos has come a long way in a short time since running her first steeplechase in April 2009, and judging by her performance here, she lacks for nothing in terms of experience.
The 24-year-old Kenyan regained her momentum in the Samsung Diamond League with a perfectly timed sprint and earned her victory at the expense of the woman who had led for most of the race, European champion Yuliya Zarudneva.
The Russian, who had defeated Chemos in the previous week’s Samsung Diamond League meeting in Stockholm, won her European title with a front-running effort, and attempted to do the same here, taking the field round to 2,000m in 6:20.36.
But Zarudneva was being tracked by five other runners, including Chemos on her shoulder.
The Russian still led at the bell, and, grimacing, over the final barrier, after which she increased her lead to a metre, only for Chemos to produce a startling final burst which saw her skip past a helpless Zarudneva on the line.
Chemos’s winning time of 9:22.49 was the fastest ever recorded in Britain. Zarudneva, whose first glimpse of the Kenyan came in the final stride to the line, clocked 9:22.60, with Kenya’s Lydia Rotich finishing third in 9:23.68.
Mike Rowbottom for the Samsung Diamond League
Stockholm, 6 August 2010
World silver medallist Yuliya Zarudneva ran a perfect 3000m steeplechase to finally end Kenyan dominance of the Samsung Diamond League event. Zarudneva's impressive victory came in a time of 9:17.59.
Zarudneva kept her nerve throughout, and despite being surrounded by five determined Kenyan rivals, she produced a very fast final 300m to easily pull clear of Milcah Chemos and Lydia Rotich.
Chemos, who clocked 9:19.32, added more Samsung Diamond Race points, and indeed is in an almost unassailable overall Samsung Diamond League lead, while her teammate finished in 9:21.25.
But the night belonged to the Russian winner, fresh from her European Championships success in Barcelona, who refused to be intimidated by her jostling smaller opponents, particularly in the final three laps.
With Chemos leading at 2K (6:16.30), Zarudneva responded to every move made. Approaching the bell, she got herself into a good attacking position to set up her victory brilliantly.
Just as she did to her European rivals, Zarudneva put her foot on the pedal at almost the same point and now plans more outings in the two final DL fixtures.
Eugene, 3 July 2010
Milcah Cheiywa Chemos scored the best ever victory of her relatively short 3000 Steeplechase career when defeating Spain's world champion Marta Dominguez in a a time of 9:26.70.
The Kenyan started the season with a second place in Shanghai, followed by victories in Oslo and Rome in the previous Samsung Diamond League meets. Today she again earned valuable Diamond Race points as she comfortably defeated Dominguez, who clocked 9:29.61. Sofia Assefa of Ethiopia was third in 9:30.05.
Jamaican Mardrea Hyman set a brisk pace of 3:02.95 for the first kilometre, but it then dropped dramatically with Chemos leading through the second split in 6:16.52.
The race then developed into a two horse battle between Chemos and Dominguez. Chemos finished third behind Dominguez in Berlin, and the latter appeared content just to follow her younger rival.
On the final circuit of the track, Chemos began to pile on the pressure, and a three metre lead with 250m remaining grew into almost 20m at the finish.
It was another convincing win from Chemos, who looks certain to be a dominant force and will run much faster if she can improve her almost non-existent hurdling style.
Rome 10 June 2010
Milcah Chemos seemed to have been blown away by her Kenyan rivals Gladys Kipkemoi and Lydia Rotich tonight before producing a magical recovery and scoring a convincing victory with another world leading time of 9:11.71.
Chemos, after scoring a runaway victory in Oslo last Friday, looked to be out of contention when falling almost 10m behind Rotich and Kipkemoi when the pair produced a powerful burst 500m from the finish.
She looked a spent force as her two fellow countrywomen, line abreast, went into the final circuit, when kilometer splits of 3:01.70 and 6:05.92 clearly indicated a very fast time was on the cards.
But as they battled it out they didn't realise Chemos was hot on their heels, initially catching Rotich just before 200m, and then chasing Kipkemoi, who still held a five metres lead.
Chemos, who finished behind the former world junior champion in Shanghai, and then beat her at the Bislett Games, pounced with 80m remaining.
The 24-year-old World Championships bronze medallist, putting her foot on the gas pedal, roared ahead for the win ahead of Kipkemoi, who ran her season's fastest of 9:13.22, with Rotich third in 9:19.01.
David Martin for the IDL
Oslo 4 June 2010
Milcah Chemos Cheiwa, despite her world class 3000m steeplechase status, makes no bones that if she had been good enough her athletics career would have centred around the 800m and 1500m.
However the tiny Kenyan isn't complaining after making the switch so successfully just 14 months ago. Last summer saw her a surprise third at the World Championships in Berlin.
Chemos, although still needing to improve her hurdling technique, showed her vast improvement when posting a world leader and meeting record of 9:12.66 here tonight, to improve on her second place in Shanghai a fortnight ago.
The 24-year-old's timely breakaway with four laps remaining saw her, over the next lap, open a 20m gap ahead of teammates Lydia Rotich and Gladys Kipkemoi.
Kipkemoi, who herself set a world lead with her victory in the World Expo 2010 City, ran even faster than on that occasion and was rewarded for her determination.
With 250m remaining she powered into second place finishing in 9:16.21 while Rotich in another Kenyan DL series clean sweep set a personal best of 9:18.03.
Shanghai 23 May 2010
Gladys Kipkemoi not surprisingly romped to a new 3000m steeplechase meeting record when destroying the opposition with a an impressive performance.
The 23-year-old Kenyan bolted to the top of the season's rankings with a time of 9:16.82 and it easily broke the previous best on the Shanghai track of 9:29.68 which Alesya Turava achieved in 2006.
Kipkemoi, the 2004 World Junior gold medallist, was content to sit in for the first kilometre where Jamaica's Mardea Hyman towed the 10 strong field through in 3:02.80.
Then Kipkemoi, eighth in last year's World Championships final, with the pace dropping, took charge of the race passing 2km in 6:11.90 and gradually pulling well clear for a easy victory.
It proved to be a Kenyan clean sweep of the honours with Milcah Chemos winning a lively last battle ahead of Lydia Rotich which was only decided in the finishing straight.
Chemos, a surprise third in last August's World Championships after only taking up the event four months earlier, clocked 9:20.63 with Rotich posting a personal best 9:21.38.
2009 season summary: Probably no track event has more to gain from the Diamond League than the women’s 3000m Steeplechase. Relatively young it continues to develop, after gaining IAAF recognition in 2000, and regular appearances on the big stage can only help.
In 2009 opportunities were limited, although Kenya’s Ruth Bisibori made the most of what was on offer. She won World Athletics Tour races in Doha, Oslo, Rieti and at the World Athletics Final in Thessaloniki. Spain’s Marta Dominguez won the World title, in Berlin, but made no impression in competition anywhere else outside her home country.
Russia’s Gulnara Galkina, still the only woman to break nine minutes, which she accomplished in becoming the event’s first Olympic champion in 2008, won WAT races in Rome and Athens. But she was 4th in the World Championships and did not contest the World Athletics Final, in which Kenya’s Milcah Chemos added silver to her World Championships bronze.
Although Galikina’s 8:58.81 survives as the World record, the World Championships medallists - Dominguez (9:07.32), Russia’s Yuliya Zarudneva (9:08.39), Chemos (9:08.57) – now rank 3rd, 5th and 6th all time.
David Powell for the IDL