by Larry Eder
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VIVIAN CHERUIYOT WINS KENYAN OLYMPIC 10,000 TRIALby Toni Reavis |
Trials Champion Vivian Cheruiyot
Nairobi, Kenya – The Kenyan “Pocket Rocket” Vivian Cheruiyot
burned through a sixty second final lap today at Kasarani Stadium to
claim the Kenyan National 10,000 meter title (32:24.51) over a
determined Joyce Chepkirui (32:24.52) and third-placer Sally Kipyego
(32:26.82). The times were modest, but as Vivian said afterwards,
“this race was for position, not time.” True enough, the three will now
represent their country in London’s Olympic Games, as this was the lone
Olympic Trials race of the two-day national championships.
In
a race that featured an Olympic final caliber collection of talent, the
pace dawdled over the initial two-thirds of the 25 laps, taking the
15-person lead pack nearly 17minutes to a pass half-way. Finally, with
seven laps remaining and a pack of nine still in contention, 2009 World
Champion Linet Masai took the reins before stepping off the track with 3 ½ laps remaining (no evident cause was seen or given).
After
Masai pulled off on the backstretch, road race star Joyce Chepkirui
stepped into the driver’s seat with double world champion Vivian
Cheruiyot tucking closely in behind followed by 2011 Berlin Marathon
champion Florence Kiplagat, Sally Kipyego the former Texas Tech Red Raider, and Priscah Jeplateng, fourth in the Daegu World Champs.
For
the next two laps the positions held as the small but boisterous crowd
scattered along the lower sections of the massive Kasarani Stadium
implored their favorites. When the bell clanged, the tiny tempest that
is Vivian Cheruiyot burst to the lead with Chepkirui in her slipstream
holding fast. Kipyego gave ground grudgingly while Florence Kiplagat,
the Kenyan national record holder at 30:11, and Priscah Jeplateng began
seeing their Olympic dreams escape from view. Kiplagat had come in off a
close second place to Ethiopian Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon on June 4. Perhaps that 30:24 effort had its effect in Nairobi today.
Vivian
Cheruiyot admitted that she had been suffering with a slight ankle
irritation before the race, and aggravated it a little during the
competition. Directly after the meet she took off for a physio session,
but when it was time for the gas, the throttle never stalled. Read more of this post
