Cheruiyot, Phillips script history

Kenyan runner completes a grand double; US long-jumper grabs historic fourth gold

Kenya’s Vivian Cheruiyot and Dwight Phillips of the United States were the ones responsible for the incandescent night, coming up with extraordinary efforts to stand tall in a field of top-notch performances.

Cheruiyot became only the second person to do the long-distance double after the great Tirunesh Dibaba with a commanding win in the 5000 metres, while Phillips won his fourth gold in the long jump pit to cap an incredible comeback journey.

Veronica Campbell-Brown’s emotional victory in the women’s 200 metres, and top-drawer contests in women’s javelin and men’s shot put were overshadowed by the deeds of Cheruiyot and Phillips in two ends of the Daegu stadium.

Defending champion Cheruiyot, winner of the 10000M on the opening night, has been enjoying an excellent season and she continued from where she left off in the longer race, staying back and attacking in the latter part of the contest. Compatriot Linet Masai kept her company but as she faded away, Syvia Kibet took over and together they stifled the challenge of former champion Meseret Defar of Ethiopia.

“I am incredibly happy to be a double winner here,” said Cheruiyot, who timed 14:55.36. “Both were hard races and I could do it because of the support of my husband.”

Phillips too thanked his family for standing by him as he battled to come through injuries. He was only 10th in the US trials and made his presence here as the defending gold medallist but when it came to championship calibre, he was simply a notch above.

Phillips’ 8.45 in the second round put pressure on the season’s leader Mitchell Watt of Australia and he just could not respond, an 8.33 being his only decent jump of the night. As his win was confirmed, Phillips leapt high and ripped off his bib to point to the number – 1111 – one for each of his wins in 2003, 2005, 2009 and here.

“I believed in myself, my family believed in me. I couldn’t train the whole of June; I just had two weeks in July and luckily, the whole of August,” said Phillips, after equalling Ivan Pedroso’s feat of four gold medals in this event.

Jamaican Campbell-Brown, the 100M silver winner, shed tears of joy after blitzing the 200M field with a race of furious pace, especially on the curve, to time a season’s best of 22.22 seconds. The first Olympic champion to win the world title in this event, she didn’t give a chance to her American rivals Carmelita Jeter and Allyson Felix, who were both featured on the Daily Programme cover on the day.

Jeter, the 100M champ, took silver in 22.37 and three-time champion Felix the bronze in 22.42, after her bid for a double went up in smoke. Both, however, brushed aside suggestions they were jinxed by their appearance on the cover.

“I wouldn’t say I believe in it, we both competed and were beaten by a better runner today,” said Jeter while Felix admitted her exertions in the 400 might have blunted her edge in the 200.

LaShawn Merritt hauled the United States from third place to first in men's 4x400 relay, finishing ahead of South Africa, who had left out Oscar Pistorius after his run in the semifinals on Thursday.

Also on Thursday, the United States made a big move, winning three of the six gold medals on offer. Olha Saladuha of Ukraine topped women’s triple jump while two-time defending champion Yargeris Savigne, struggling with an injury, ended sixth. Incidentally, she was on the cover of the Daily Programme on the day!

Results: Men: Long jump: Dwight Phillips (USA) 8.45 metres, 1; Mitchell Watt (Australia) 8.33, 2; Ngonidzashe Makusha (Zimbabwe) 8.29, 3.

Shot put: David Storl (Germany) 21.78 metres, 1; Dylan Armstrong (Canada) 21.64, 2; Andrei Mikhnevich (Belarus) 21.40, 3.

4x400M relay: United States (Greg Nixon, Bershawn Jackson, Angelo Taylor, LaShawn Merritt) 2:59.31, 1; South Africa 2:59.87, 2; Jamaica 3:00.10, 3.

Women: 200M: Veronica Campbell-Brown (Jamaica) 22.22 seconds, 1; Carmelita Jeter (USA) 22.37, 2; Allyson Felix (USA) 22.42, 3.

5000M: Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya) 14:55.36, 1; Sylvia Kibet (Kenya) 14:56.21, 2; Meseret Defar (Ethiopia) 14:56.94, 3. Javelin throw: Maria Abakumova (Russia) 71.99 metres, 1; Barbora Spotakova (Czech Republic) 71.58, 2; Sunette Viljoen (South Africa) 68.38, 3. Thursday’s results: Men: 400M hurdles: David Greene (Britain) 48.26 seconds, 1; Javier Culson (Puerto Rico) 48.44, 2; L J Van Zyl (South Africa) 48.80, 3.

3000M steeplechase: Ezekiel Kemboi (Kenya) 8:14.85, 1; Brimin Kiprop Kipruto (Kenya) 8:16.05, 2; M. Mekhissi-Benabbad (France) 8:16.05, 3. High jump: Jesse Williams (USA) 2.35 metres, 1; Aleksey Dmitrik (Russia) 2.35, 2; Trevor Barry (Bahamas) 2.32, 3.
Women: 1500M: Jennifer Barringer Simpson (USA) 4:05.40, 1; Hannah England (Britain) 4:05.68, 2; Natalia Rodriguez (Spain) 4:05.87, 3.

400M hurdles: Lashinda Demus (USA) 52.47, 1; Melaine Walker (Jamaica) 52.73, 2; Natalya Anyukh (Russia) 53.85, 3. Triple jump: Olha Saladuha (Ukraine) 14.94 metres, 1; Olga Rypakova (Kazakhstan) 14.89, 2; Caterine Ibarguen (Colombia) 14,84, 3.