India’s Lalita Shivaji Babar set a national record and qualified on Monday for the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2015 Athletics World Championships.
Babar completed the race in 9 minutes 27.86 seconds to finish fifth in her heat. The 26-year-old athlete was about three and a half seconds off Tunisian Habiba Ghribi’s best-of-the-day mark at 9:24.38.
The final will be later on Monday.
Meanwhile Saudi Arabia’s Ahmed Fayez Al Dosari missed out on long jump qualifying by 0.35 metres, coming 12th in his heat as American Jeff Henderson paced the heats with a jump of 8.36 metres.
Elsewhere after the Usain Bolt show on Sunday, it's the women's sprint that will highlight Monday's programme. Like Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will be trying to defend her title in the 100m but will find tough American opposition in Tori Bowie.
Without Tirunesh Dibaba, Kenyan runner Vivian Cheruiyot is the favourite in the women’s 10,000m. The UAE’s Alia Saeed will also compet, entering with a personal best of 31 minutes 51.86 seconds.
By tradition, Kenyans are again expected to dominate the men’s steeplechase, and Renaud Lavillenie will be the favorite in the pole vault. The Frenchman, the Olympic champion and world-record holder, has yet to win a world title, however.
Like Lavillenie, Caterine Ibarguen of Colombia is the overwhelming favourite in the women’s triple jump and comes into Monday’s final with a 28-meet victory streak.
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