Record-breaking run for St Albans' Lizzie Bird in Olympic final
St Albans' Lizzie Bird in the 3000m steeplechase Olympic final at Tokyo 2020. - Credit: MARTIN RICKETT/PA
Lizzie Bird ran a new British record to complete a memorable first Olympic Games.
The former St Albans School pupil was running in the 3000m steeplechase at Tokyo 2020 and finishing strongly to record nine minutes 19.68 seconds for ninth place.
It broke her previous best, set when qualifying for the Games in Monaco just last month, by over three seconds.
She was already making history as the first British woman to reach an Olympic final at the event and the run and the record will also be celebrated in the USA as Bird is a graduate of the famous Princeton University.
Great Britain's Elizabeth Bird during the Women's 3000m Steeplechase Heats at the Olympic Stadium on the ninth day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan. Picture date: Sunday August 1, 2021. - Credit: MARTIN RICKETT/PA
She qualified for the final by finishing fifth in her heat on Sunday in a time of 9:24.34.
The gold medal in the race went to Peruth Chemutai of Uganda in 9:01.45 with USA's Courtney Frerichs and Hyvin Kiyeng of Kenya in second and third.
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