Her pace began to rapidly decline, though, and the Kenyans accelerated to overtake Ayana with two laps to go. The only bet they’d offer was basically even money on her setting the world record.
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For the first 4000m of the race, it appeared as if Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana would complete a sweep of the distance races at these Olympics, having won the 10000m in world-record time a week ago.
No, in one of the biggest upsets of the 2016 Games, the victor was 5-time world champion (4 track, 1 short xc) Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya, who finally accomplished the one thing she had never done in the sport – win Olympic gold. It was the 32-year-old Cheruiyot’s first Olympic gold after a silver and a bronze at the London Games and that silver behind in the 10,000 in Rio.
This is a flash recap.
Ayana who won gold in the 10,000m race last week could not repeat a second win. “We are going to get something'”.
At the bell with Cheruiyot cruising, Obiri also took the cue and ran down the flailing Ethiopian on the home straight for an Olympic silver medal in a memorable night for Kenya. Halfway through she had taken control after an early break by Japan’s Miyuki Uehara and opened a big gap on the chasers.
Nikki Hamblin, the runner whose act of sportsmanship alongside American Abbey D’Agostino in the 5,000 meters heats warmed hearts at the Olympics, finished last in the final in 16:14.24 – still a personal best for the New Zealand athlete.
“Almaz got ahead but then I thought “she’s not moving”. I went past her”, said Cheruiyot. The American then realized she had sustained a bad knee injury.
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In that race, D’Agostino inadvertently clipped the back of Hamblin’s heel, sending both runners to the ground.
