Cheruiyot wins Olympic women’s 5,000m gold for Kenya
Rio de Janeiro, Aug 20 (IANS) Kenya’s Vivian Cheruiyot set a new Olympic record, clinching gold in the women’s 5,000 metres race at the Rio Olympics.
The 32-year-old on Friday clocked 14 minutes 26.17 seconds to beat the previous mark held by Gabriela Szabo of Romania by more than 14 seconds, Xinhua news agency reported.
Kenya’s Hellen Onsando Obiri took silver in a personal best 14:29.77 with Ethiopa’s Almaz Ayana grabbing bronze in 14:33.59.
Mercy Cherong of Kenya was fourth and Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi, runner-up in the event at 2015 world championships, was fifth.
Cheruiyot claimed silver in the 5,000m at the London 2012 Games. Her victory on Friday was her second medal at these Games, having also taken silver in the women’s 10,000m, which was won by Ayana.
US clinches women’s 4x100m gold in Rio
Rio de Janeiro, Aug 20 (IANS) The United States clinched its 11th Olympic women’s 4×100 metres relay title, setting the second-fastest time in history at the Rio Games.
The US team of Allyson Felix, Tianna Bartoletta, Tori Bowie and English Gardner on Friday clocked 41.04 seconds, beating a fast-finishing Jamaica by 0.35 seconds. Britain was third in 41.77, Xinhua news agency reported.
It was Felix’s fifth Olympic gold medal and the third for Bartoletta, who also won the long jump here.
The time was just 19 hundredths of a second slower than the world record set by the US at the London 2012 Games, in which Felix and Bartoletta also participated.
The US originally missed out on qualifying for the final but was allowed a solo re-run of their heat on Thursday when officials ruled it was obstructed during the race.
