Kenya: Vivian Seeks Double Gold in Daegu As Cherotich Shatters Pole Vault Record

Chris Musumba

14 July 2011

Nairobi — Ever since she burst onto the international scene at the World Youth Championship in Bydgoszcz, Poland, in 1999, Vivian Cheruiyot has kept on redefining the history of long distance races.

Today, the world 5,000 metres champion launches yet another bid as she seeks to make the Kenya team in the 10,000m race. This will be the first time that Cheruiyot will be running the 25-lap race at the national championships.

“I feel fresh and ready to run. I do not look at the people who will be my opponents, but I prefer to focus on my own strength and that is what I will be doing tomorrow (Friday),” she said. However, there will be no World 10,000m champion, Linet Masai, in today’s race.

Masai, who has a wild card in the 10,000m race as the title holder, opted to run in the 5,000m where she easily won in her heat yesterday while the other heat was won by Sylvia Kibet, the world 5,000m silver medallist.

Cheruiyot, 27, is eying to double up in both 5,000m and 10,000m races at the World Championships.

This has only been done by two other Kenyans before – Tegla Loroupe, who won bronze in the 10,000m race twice, and former Olympics 5,000m silver medallist Isabella Ochichi.

“Ochichi doubled up in 2005 at the World Cross Country Championships, running in both the 8km and 4km senior women races.

She was in top form after having won the silver at the Athens Olympics,” said Peter Angwenyi, the Athletics Kenya Public Relations officer.

Yet it is the prospects that Cheruiyot holds that has given Kenyans a new imagination of how far the diminutive athlete can go.

At 27, Cheruiyot has already won a silver medal in the 5,000 metres at the 2007 World Championships and improved it to gold in Berlin two years ago. “I have a wild card in the 5,000m as the defending champion and I have talked with AK over the same and have allowed me to compete in the 10,000m race,” she said.

She holds a personal best time of 14:22.51, which is also the national record that she set in Oslo in 2007 and recently qualified for the world championship when she run 31:07.02 in Pontevedra, Spain, in April. Cheruiyot will have Commonwealth champion Grace Momanyi and Monicah Wangari in the Kenya Police team to contend with for the 10,000m title on Friday.

“I have had a meeting with Cheruiyot, she is upbeat about doubling up in Daegu and I see no harm in her doing that. She has already set a fast time, which is within the qualifying time for the world championship and I see no problem for her at all doing it,” said head coach Julius Kirwa.

Kirwa, pointed out that Cheruiyot’s pulsating sprints, which she can sustain over a 600m distance, is the perfect antidote to the Ethiopia’s problems.

Tirunesh Dibaba and Meseret Defer and Sentaney Ejigu will be the athletes to beat and Kirwa was buoyant, Cheruiyot will leave them in the wake of her dust.

“I have looked at the programme and remained satisfied, she has enough time to double. There are about three days to rest and that is enough for her to recover,” said Kirwa.

But that can wait as she lines up alongside a spirited rivalry from former world 5,000m bronze medallist Priscah Jepleting, Lineth Chepkurui, Innes Chenonge, Grace Momanyi and Monicah Wangari. Only the best three will be lucky to join Masai in the Kenya team to daegu.

“This is the best way to shield Masai from the tactical Ethiopians. Many a time she is left alone by the 12 lap and this becomes easy for them to plan and beat her, just like in the Africa championship. Her sprint is still not good.

“But with Cheruiyot serving as cover up, the game is open and this sets stage for a good championship,” said Kirwa.

In the trials, Peninah Arusei, Sharon Cherop, Frashiah Nyambura, Alice Mogire, Pauline Wangui, Ruth Kutol and Lucy Kabuu, the former Commonwealth Games champion in a race that has attracted 32 athletes.

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