Kazakhstani track and field athlete Nora Jeruto has reached the Asian Games podium for the first time in her career: the 30-year-old brought Kazakhstan a silver medal in the 3000-meter steeplechase at the 2026 Asian Games, which are being held in Japan, according to infohub.kz.
Jeruto covered the distance in 9 minutes 6.82 seconds — her best result of the current season.
Until the final lap, the Kazakhstani runner stayed with the lead group, but ultimately finished behind Winfred Yavi of Bahrain. India's Parul Chaudhary rounded out the top three.
For Jeruto, these Asian Games were her career debut. In 2022, she made history as Kazakhstan's first world champion in track and field.
On Sunday, Anastasia Rybakova — the daughter of Olympic champion Olga Rybakova — also competed at the Asian Games. In the long jump, she placed 13th with a best attempt of 5.80 meters.
In the 400-meter hurdles, Kazakhstani athletes advanced to the finals: Adelina Zems posted the second-best qualifying result, while her husband Vitaliy Zems finished eighth.