Cheruiyot promises Ayana titanic fight in 5000m

Cheruiyot promises Ayana titanic fight in 5000m

It is not over until it is over. Those were the sentiments of Rio 2016 women 10000m silver medallist, Vivian Cheruiyot as she prepares for a last bid for Olympics track glory in Tuesday’s 5000m heats.

 

Cheruiyot has promised to chase down Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana, who beat her to the women 10000m with a world record, with all she has got in a bid to reverse the tables on the world champion over the distance.

“In as much as Ayana was on a class of her own during the 10000m final, I’m coming for her in the 5000m,” Cheruiyot told Chamgei FM in Rio.

The four-time world champion and now three-time Olympics silver medallist says she will work on the tactical mistakes that cost her gold in Friday’s 10000m final.

Should her stated mission on bagging the only gold missing from her impressive collection fail to materialise in Friday’s 5000m, Cheruiyot, 32, hinted she will not give up on her quest.

 

“I’m certain that I’ll have Olympic Gold medal one day even if the 5000m slips out of my hands,” she emphasised.

The ‘Pocket Rocket’ set a new national record of 29:32.53 that was the third fastest in history for the second medal in the 25-lap race that will be long remembered for Ayana’s sparkling new world record of 29:17.45.

Her quest for the Olympics double at the London 2012 Games ended with silver in the women 5000m where Ethiopian arch rival, Meseret Defar took the gold and bronze in 10000m behind Tirunesh Dibaba and compatriot Sally Kipyego.

Tags:

kenya olympics Women 5000m Vivian Cheruiyot Rio 2016 Almaz Ayana

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