When Peruth Chemutai steps onto the track in Glasgow today, July 29, she will not merely be chasing another Commonwealth Games medal. She will be chasing redemption. The former Ugandan Olympic champion is expected to be one of the main attractions of the 2026 Commonwealth Games when she lines up for the women’s 3,000m steeplechase final. Four years ago in Birmingham, Chemutai’s medal hopes appeared to disappear in a split second when she fell during the race. But the determined Ugandan picked herself up, battled to the finish and still claimed bronze in nine minutes and 23.24 seconds. That fall remains one of the few blemishes on an otherwise remarkable international career. In Glasgow, Chemutai returns to the Commonwealth stage as a vastly more accomplished athlete, and one with the pedigree to challenge for gold. Since her Birmingham bronze, she has continued to establish herself among the world’s elite steeplechasers. She became Uganda’s first female Olympic champion when she won the 3,000m steeplechase at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in nine minutes and 01.45 seconds. At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, she underlined her consistency at the highest level by winning silver in eight minutes and 53.34 seconds. Her current national record of eight minutes and 48.03 seconds, set in Rome on August 30, 2024, further illustrates the level at which she now operates. Chemutai has also enjoyed an impressive 2026 season. She won the Xiamen Diamond League in eight and 51.06 seconds, setting a meeting record, before edging Faith Cherotich by just 0.01 seconds to win the Shanghai Diamond League in eight minutes and 51.47 seconds. Those performances have reinforced her status as one of the leading names in the event and set the stage for a highly anticipated final in Glasgow. Chemutai’s career statistics tell the story of an athlete who has repeatedly delivered on the biggest stage. She holds the national record for the five kilometres road race with 15:05, set in Lille on March 20, 2022, while her 1500m personal best stands at 4:17.18, recorded on May 29, 2016. But it is the steeplechase where her legacy has been forged. From the Olympic gold in Tokyo to the Olympic silver in Paris, Chemutai has proved that she belongs among the very best in the world. Now, Glasgow offers her another opportunity. The memory of Birmingham will inevitably linger, but so too will the lessons from that race. Chemutai knows what it means to fall on the biggest stage. She also knows what it means to rise. Chemutai will be hoping that her next Commonwealth Games steeplechase story ends not with a fall and a brave recovery, but with a commanding run and a gold-medal celebration. However, she faces stiff challenge from Kenya’s Faith Cherotich and Celestine Jepkosgei Biwot in this final. Cherotich leading Kenya’s charge given her strong form in recent major international performances. Cherotich is the reigning world women’s 3,000m steeplechase champion following her stunning show at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Japan.The post Chemutai out to exorcise Birmingham demons in Glasgow steeplechase final appeared first on The Observer Media Ltd.