Russia's gold medalist Gulnara Samitova-Galkina celebrates after the women's 3000m steeplechase final at the National Stadium as part of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on August 17, 2008. Samitova-Galkina set a new world record of 8:58.81 for the 3000m steeplechase here on Sunday, smashing her own previous record by more than three seconds. [Agencies]

BEIJING -- Gulnara Samitova-Galkina of Russia led all the way to win the women's steeplechase gold medal with a world record performance at the Beijing Olympic Games here on Sunday.

The 30-year-old took a long-standing lead from the very beginning of the race to finish with a time of eight minutes 58.81 seconds, breaking the previous record of 9:01.59 set by herself four years ago.

Eunice Jepkorir of Kenya trailed by 9.60 seconds to claim the silver medal in 9:07.41. She outsprinted another Russian Ekaterina Volkova in the  final 100 meters to catch the medal and broke the African record.

Volkova, last year's gold winner at the Osaka world championships, had to settle for the bronze in 9:07.64.

When she crossed the finish line, Samitova-Galkina threw her arms up and put her hands on her head with an easy smile.

It was Russia's first athletics gold medal at the Beijing Olympic Games.

Russia's gold medalist Gulnara Samitova-Galkina poses next to her new record after the women's 3000m steeplechase final at the National Stadium as part of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on August 17, 2008. [Agencies]