Winfred Yavi: “I want to make History in Brussels”

World Athletics wants to make the sport more attractive by revamping a number of disciplines. The one mile steeplechase, and the mixed 4×100 metres relay, is one of the test events that has been included in the Allianz Memorial Van Damme programme at the request of the world athletics federation. A shorter race at a higher speed will make for a more spectacular event.

Winfred Yavi will provide that spectacle. The 25-year-old Bahraini, of Kenyan descent, is the current number 1 in the classic steeplechase distance and last summer came only 7 hundredths of a second short of breaking Beatrice Chepkoech’s seven-year-old world record.

“I will be super well prepared for the start tomorrow,” Yavi promises. “Together with my coach and team, I have prepared everything down to the last detail. I have all the split times and finish time in my head.” But Yavi does not want to share any times out loud. “All I can say is that it will be a very fast and very interesting race,” says the cheerful athlete from Bahrain.

Yavi realises that this first major one mile steeplechase could be something very special. “I always want to raise the bar. I want to make history in Brussels and inspire other young athletes with my performance.”