Vivian Cheruiyot picks up her Laureus Award in the competitive Sportswoman of the Year category at an event in London on Monday. Photo | XINHUA
Kenyan 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.
In the 10,000 meters, she finished in a personal best of 30 minutes 48.98 seconds. In March, Cheruiyot had won the World Cross-Country Championship in Punta Umbria in Spain after outlasting compatriot Linet Masai in an absorbing race.
Emotional At the glamorous award ceremony held in London, the 29-year-old lady in her silver evening dress was overwhelmed.
“Last year was a big year for me,” she said, her voice shaking.
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