INCHEON: Bahrain\'s Ruth Jebet reacts after crossing the finish line to win the final of the women\'s 3,000m steeplechase athletics event during the 17th Asian Games at the Incheon Asiad Main Stadium here Saturday. — AFP Photo
INCHEON, South Korea, Sept 28 (AFP): Bahrain's Ruth Jebet regained her Asian Games steeplechase gold Sunday after a battle over her disqualification for stepping inside the track, an Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) official said.
OCA games director Haidar Farman told the news agency that 17-year-old Jebet had been reinstated as winner after a review and new medal ceremony would be organised for Sunday.
The Kenya-born runner was led away in tears Saturday when her disqualification was announced to the stadium as she was waiting to collect her gold. She easily won the race in an Asian Games record time.
The dramatic reversal came after frantic meetings between Asian Athletics Association (AAA) officials and delegates from Bahrain, China and India.
China's Li Zhenzhu came second and Lalita Babar of India was third. They stood to gain from Jebet's disqualification.
"The jury reviewed all of the protests by the three Olympic committees and they confirmed that there was no violation of the rules and the gold medal will be given again to Bahrain runner Ruth Jebet," Farman told the news agency.
An athletics official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the review had decided that Jebet's error had not hindered any other runner and did not influence the result.
The junior world champion destroyed the field at Incheon's Asiad Main Stadium, crossing the line in nine minutes, 31.36 seconds, more than 24 seconds inside the Games record.
But as she entered the home straight on her penultimate lap she stumbled slightly and put a foot in the infield.
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