Saturday 4th November 2023.- Belén Casetta, who won a bronze medal in Lima 2019, took her time to launch the attack that earned her the gold in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

For a significant portion of the race, the Argentinian athlete played a secondary role, far from the fierce battle for the lead between the Brazilian Tatiane da Silva, Canadian Alycia Butterworth, and American Marisa Howard.

The 29-year-old athlete endured until the final lap, when it seemed that Da Silva was pulling away towards victory. Casetta began to leave her rivals behind and reached the home stretch with more strength than anyone.

Casetta's final push not only secured her the gold medal but also allowed her to break the Pan American record. Her time of 9'39"47 surpassed the 9'41"45 achieved by the Canadian specialist Lynn Lalonde at Lima 2019.

Following the winner, Butterworth (9'40"86) and Da Silva (9'41"29) eventually crossed the finish line.

American Marisa Howard, who won silver four years ago in the Peruvian capital and had the best season's mark among the athletes on the track at the crowded Estadio Nacional, had to settle for fourth place (9'49"27).

Canadian Kiana Gibson finished fifth (9'53"51), while the Brazilian Simone Ponte Ferraz (10'00"62), American Logan Jolly (10'03"08), Peruvian Verónica Huacasi (10'10"90), Argentine Clara Baiocchi (10'24"05), and Mexican Arian Chia (10'26"36) completed the top 10.

Written by Felipe Hurtado H.; translated by Vicente Valdiva / Photosport
Photo: Marcelo Hernandez/Santiago 2023 / Photosport