Women’s 5000: Vivian Cheruiyot Upsets 10K Champ for the Gold

Vivian Cheruiyot set an Olympic record to win gold in the women’s 5,000 metres, coming from behind to beat favourite Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia.

She stayed true to her word in the 5,000m and did not panic when Ayana burst into the lead, winning Kenya’s first ever women’s medal over the distance and cementing her legacy as a Kenyan long-distance great.

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.

Compatriot Hellen Obiri claimed silver in 14:29, with Ayana bumped into bronze in 14:33.

It was the best possible response after being beaten to the gold in the longer distance by a world record having run her lifetime best of 29:32.53, the third fastest women 10000m of all time.

“Almaz got ahead but then I thought “she’s not moving”.

There looked to be only one victor when Ayana hit the front with eight laps to go before opening up a healthy advantage.

2016 Rio Olympics – Athletics – Final – Women’s 5000m Final – Olympic Stadium – Rio de Janeiro, …

Kenya’s Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot reacts after winning the gold medal in the 5000 meter finals during the athletics competitions of the 2016 Summer Olympics at the Olympic stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016. The athlete said stopping to have a baby helped her. “I am not going to lose her'”. Before the race, I knew she was going to win, but Helen Obiri told me she is not unbeatable.

The victory gave Cheruiyot revenge for her second-place finish behind the Ethiopian in the 10,000 earlier in these games and finally put her on the top of the podium at her fourth Olympics, and after a silver and a bronze at London 2012, and another silver a week ago. “I saw the gap closing, then I said if I close this gap I would not let go”, Cheruiyot said. She was not running smoothly. “Helen also went on maternity leave and returned to win this silver“, she said.