Vivian Cheruiyot is looking ahead to next year’s London Olympics with a lot of confidence after a great performance at the recent world athletics championships in Daegu, South Korea. Cheruiyot, who celebrates her 28th birthday on September 11, swept the gold medals in the women’s 5000 meters and 10,000 meters in Daegu.
Her two gold medals generated headlines in her birthplace of Kenya as well as all over the world, with one describing her as “the biggest thing in distance running.”
In Daegu, Vivian showed off a big kick in successfully defending her world title in the 5000 meters. She ran the final lap in less than 59 seconds.
Vivian Cheruiyot says she first discovered her running talent when she was a young schoolgirl, running back and forth approximately five kilometers between her home and the classroom. She credits her husband, Moses Kiplagat, and her coach and manager, Ricky Simms, with her international athletic success.
In addition to her three world championship gold medals, Cheruiyot is also the reigning African and Commonwealth champion at 5000 meters. But she does not yet have an Olympic medal. At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Cheruiyot finished fifth in the 5000. But that could change next year in London.
Simms describes Cheruiyot as “an amazing talent” who will be very tough to beat in the British capital.
…and how about Usain Bolt ….One day after winning gold in the 200, Bolt was devastating down the home stretch of the relay and threw his yellow-clad chest across the line for a time of 37.04 seconds – the only world record in nine days of competition.