It didn't take long for Kenyan-born women to dominate the event winning two gold, two silver and four bronze medals in ten years.

In just one year leading up to 2017 London, four runners would post times equal to or below the 9-minute mark that would rank them first, second, fourth and fifth on all-time list for fastest women in a 3000 metres steeplechase; Ruth Jebet at 8:52.78, Celliphine Chespol at 8:58.78, Hyvin Jepkemoi at 9:00.01 and Beatrice Chepkoech at 9:00.70.

The rules allow for a country to have only three entrants; however, Kenya gained a fourth spot for Hyvin Jepkemoi using the wild card entry reserved for defending champions.

Running for Bahrain were two Kenyan expatriates; Ruth Jebet, the world record holder and Olympic champion, and 17-year-old Winfred Mutile Yavi.

The Kenyan national team featured Beatrice Chepkoech, the number one ranked runner in 2017, fourth-place finisher at the 2016 Olympics and third fastest in the world in 2017; Purity Kirui, 2014 Commonwealth Games champion, and Celliphine Chespol, reigning World U20 champion, who in May 2017 recorded the second fastest time in history for a women's steeplechase winning in 8:58.78 at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon.

On two separate occasions Quigley stepped on the inside white line that divides the track from the infield while exiting the water jump area.

Just one minute and 23 seconds into the race, and after going over the first three barriers, front-runner Chepkoech missed the inside turn for the water jump by continuing to run the track's oval as if it was a non-steeplechase event.

Out of the chaos, Bahrain's Yavi took the lead followed by the two Americans, Coburn and Frerichs, then Jepkemoi, with Chepkoech now sprinting to catch the field.

On lap two, at the 2:12 mark, despite having trailed by 7 seconds, Chepkoech made a strong comeback, caught the field and worked her way into the middle of the pack.

German Olympian and 2015 World bronze medalist Gesa Felicitas Krause was an unfortunate recipient who found herself lying on the track and soon to be in last place.

The turmoil at the rear of the pack suddenly caused a six-women breakaway to unfold consisting of Yavi, Jebet, Jepkemoi, Chespol, and the two Americans.

Kenya's Purity Cherotich Kirui found herself halfway between both groups in seventh position, trailing the leaders by roughly six metres.

At 2:41, after crossing the water jump for the second time, Bahrain's Ruth Jebet passed Yavi to take the lead and stepped up the pace.

Coburn and Frerichs, accepted the Bahraini's solid pace and settled into the rear of the lead pack occupying the fifth and sixth positions.

The fast pace and energy expended to make up for earlier mistakes in the race was now having its effect on Chepkoech, as she began to slow, unable to keep up with the aggressive push by the Americans to overtake her teammate Jepkemoi.

Seeing this, Coburn cut sharply and took advantage of the shorter, inside path, arriving at the jump just a few tenths of a second ahead of the other two runners.

Her performance ranks as sixth fastest on the all-time list for the women's 3000-metres steeplechase event; one spot ahead of Frerichs.