Previous Story
After Bolt pep-talk, Cheruiyot finally gets her gold
Posted On Aug 20 2016
Comment: Off
Rio de Janeiro, Aug 20: Kenya’s Vivian Cheruiyot set a new Olympic record, clinching gold in the women’s 5,000 metres race at the Rio Olympics.
Cheruiyot, who is one of Kenya’s greatest athletes, stunned favourite Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia to take home her first-ever gold medal at the Olympics.
Cheruiyot, 32, had been the almost woman in her last three Olympic finals, winning two silver medals and one bronze, but she ran a superb tactical race to outwit 5,000m world champion Ayana in a Games best time of 14.26:17.
Ayana, who was tipped to have a crack at the 5,000 world record in the final after missing it by just a second in June, slumped and held on grimly for third in 14:33.59.
“I couldn’t believe that I was going to defeat Almaz”. Her pace began to rapidly decline, though, and the Kenyans accelerated to overtake Ayana with two laps to go. We are so happy it’s going back to Kenya. We tried and she (Vivian) said we rest abit before making a move.
Kenya’s Helen Onsando Obiri celebrates after she won the silver medal in the Women’s 5000m Final during the athletics event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on August 19, 2016.
D’Agostino didn’t run in the final because of a knee injury. “When we confirmed she was struggling, I told Helen to attack, and I would follow”. We said if she does 66 seconds per lap, we would do 68 and remain behind her.
Cheruiyot claimed silver in the 5,000m at the London 2012 Games. “I saw the gap closing, then I said if I close this gap I would not let go”, Cheruiyot said.
“I’m really grateful today”. D’Agostino then helped Hamblin two her feet, and the pair completed the final five laps of the race side-by-side, despite D’Agostino having torn her ACL in the collision. “With 100m left, I believed it and was elated that I was winning the ultimate medal”. Cheruiyot also took leave to deliver son Allan Kiprono and returned to the track last season where she won the women 10000m title in Beijing, her fourth gold at the biennial IAAF track and field showpiece.
