Sport
Kenya’s Vivian Cheruiyot wins Laureus Award
Kenyan middle distance runner Vivian Cheruiyot. PHOTO/Xinhua
Kenyan middle distance runner Vivian Cheruiyot won the prestigious Laureus Award Monday, being chosen as the best Sportswoman of the Year ahead of a star-studded cast.
The award comes as a tonic after she missed out on the IAAF’s award last November to Australia’s Sally Pearson in what many had seen as a near-certainty for the diminutive long-distance runner after an astonishing year.
Cheruiyot picked up gold medals in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the World Championships in Daegu last year in stunning fashion, having earlier won the world cross country title.
Pearson and IAAF world 100m title holder Carmelita Jeter were among the nominees in this category.
One of the great distance runners of this generation, Cheruiyot ran the final kilometre of the 5,000 meters competition in 2 minutes and 41.76 seconds, the fastest ever in World Championship history.