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Team USA has been graced with the world-class presence of Emma Coburn under its flag as she lept to success in the 3000m Steeplechase event, winning the race as expected and without a shadow of a doubt on who the best competitor in the event is. 

Smashing the Olympic trials record, Coburn clocked in at 9:09.41, followed by expected second-place Courtney Frerichs, who finished at 9:11.7. Val Constein finished at third in a race which was really for that last qualifying spot all along. 

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However, Emma Coburn was steadfast throughout the race, not showing even a glimpse of imperfection. The point being, she stood strong in the face of unfortunate news on her mind. Earlier, Coburn’s mother was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. 

Following her victory at the event, she sent an emotional message to her mother, inspiring her through the fight. Coburn is hopeful to do her mother proud even further by clinching a medal in Tokyo. 

Emma Coburn is a serious contender for Olympic Gold

As the best hope for Team USA, Emma Coburn aims at nothing short of perfection. Her main competitor will be Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech, who beat her to the gold in the 2019 World Championship in Doha. It will be everything to win for in Tokyo, which is precisely why Team USA looks to maximize its chances. 

The currently Steeplechase team has one of the best lineups it has had, and Coburn is hopeful of its odds at the Olympics this time around.

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“I think the U.S. steeple right now is the deepest it’s been in years,” she said, in a post-race statement. “There’s so many women who have run under 9:30 this year. Knowing that strength and that depth, I wanted to just play off some of my strengths. If we were running 9:30 splits early in the race, I knew that was well within my comfort zone and I could push really hard the last two laps.”

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Fans were also amazed at Emma Coburn’s clockwork movement on the tracks. She showed every but of that experience as she grabbed first place and is definitely a serious contender for gold at the Tokyo Olympics 2021.