Report30 Aug 2011


Women's 5000m - Heats - Cheruiyot takes it easy as double pursuit begins

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Meseret Defar wins the opening round heat of the women's 5000m at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu (© Getty Images)

Vivian Cheruiyot, after her brilliant 10,000m victory, stepped back again onto Daegu 2011's blue covered track surface determined to retain the 5000 title she won in Berlin two years ago.


The 27-year-old defending champion with a US$60,000 check in her bank already knows that if earning another one in Friday night's final she will also match the achievement of Tirunesh Dibaba, the only woman to have completed the demanding distance running double, in Helsinki six years ago.


Cheruiyot and her Kenyan colleague Linet Masai, third over the longer distance where she relinquished her title to her sidekick and other teammate Sally Kipyego, both expended as little energy as possible in their heat this morning.


The experienced duo, switching on auto-pilot mode, sat back knowing all that was required on a hot and humid Korean morning was to finish in the first five to achieve automatic qualification which they did without breaking sweat.


They were content to sit back and take third and fifth positions as Genzebe Dibaba - the younger cousin of the legendary 2001 Ethiopian winner Derartu - got herself involved in a burn up down the home stretch with fellow 20-year-old Tejitu Daba.


Dibaba junior, last year's World junior gold medallist, proved the stronger by 0.07sec in the fastest time of the two heats with a clocking of 15:33.06 from her former countrywoman and 2011 Asian champion now sporting the colours of Bahrain.


Fourth placed Lauren Fleshman was the other to make the final by right, indeed it was the reigning American champion who assure herself of qualification by making  a strong sprint for the line with 200 metres remaining.


Now it remains to see whether Cheruiyot will try and capture another gold medal and big cheque by running a tactical race with a last lap burn up or as she hinted after setting her world lead of 14:20.87 in Stockholm a month ago, attack the world record and seek a bonus of US$100,000.


Meseret Defar who tasted 5000m success with her victory in Osaka four years ago where she pushed Cheruiyot into second position by five metres thanks to a last lap of 59.03, took the first heat.


The former gold medallist who dropped out of Saturday night's 10,000m final because of a stomach problem looked fully recovered and first across the line in 15:19.46.


With African rivalry flaring up although only a qualifier, it resulted in a quickish last lap of 62sec with Defar finishing ahead of the Kenyan pair of Mercy Cherono and Sylvia Kibet.


Her Ethiopian team mate Sentayehu Ejigu fetched up the rear of the four strong pack which were separated by just 0.67, with Russia's Yelena Zadorozhnaya who had done much of the pacemaking from the 3000 metre point finishing fifth in 15.23.90.


Japan's Hitomi Niiya and Russia's Yelizaveta Grechishnikova were rewarded for taking on pacemaking duties in the heats by making the final as fastest losers.


The other three slots went to Amy Hastings of the USA, Great Britain's Helen Clitheroe and Zaka Mrfisho from Tanzania who posted a seaon's best of 15:35.37.


David Martin for the IAAF


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