Rio 2016: Cheruiyot stuns Ayana to take 5000m gold

Omnisports

August 19, 2016 11:43 PM

Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana appeared certain to add the Olympic 5000m title to her 10,000m crown, but Vivian Cheruiyot had other ideas.

___5399331___https:______static.pulse.com.gh___webservice___escenic___binary___5399331___2016___8___20___9___cheruiyot-cropped_1l9if551s18a41ce1e5ibltasw

Almaz Ayana was surprisingly denied a distance-running double at Rio 2016, as Kenya's Vivian Cheruiyot produced a storming finish to win the women's 5000m on Friday.

Ayana made a stunning impact on the opening day of track and field action at the Olympic Stadium, shattering the 10,000m world record with a remarkable performance.

An early breakaway served the Ethiopian well on that occasion, with Cheruiyot a distant second.

Yet Ayana's decision to adopt similar tactics in the 5000m ultimately backfired as she was unexpectedly reeled in by Cheruiyot and Hellen Onsando Obiri on the penultimate lap.

After overtaking the long-time leader, Cheruiyot surged home to set a new Olympic record with a time of 14 minutes and 26.17 seconds.

Fellow Kenyan Obiri was 3.6secs back in second, while Ayana had to settle for bronze - almost eight seconds off the pace.

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

However, the 10,000m champion could not maintain her advantage as Cheruiyot - a three-time Olympic medallist prior to this race - finally earned a place at the top of the podium.

Omnisports