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Cheruiyot guns for double as Bolt returns

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Published : Sept. 1, 2011 - 19:06

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DAEGU (AFP) -- Kenya‘s Vivian Cheruiyot will be gunning for a double when she takes to the track on Day 7 of the World Athletics Championships on Friday.

Usain Bolt will also bid to get his attempt to defend his world 200m crown off to a safe start in heats and the semifinal after his sensational disqualification from the 100m final following a false start.

Cheruiyot snagged gold in the women’s 10,000m on the opening day of the Daegu worlds on Saturday thanks to a fine tactical display from her three teammates, leading to a 1-2-3-4 sweep.
Vivian Cheruiyot Vivian Cheruiyot

Now she plans to defend her world 5,000m crown, also with the help of a strong trio of fellow runners, Mercy Cherono, Sylvia Kibet and Linet Masai.

“I was just relaxing, holding my position to qualify for the final,” Cheruiyot said after heats for the 5,000m.

Masai, who claimed bronze in the 10,000m to add to her gold from the 2009 worlds in Berlin, added: “We are ready for a difficult final and will prepare special tactics for the final to win as many medals as possible.”

Fastest in qualifying was the Kenyans‘ archrival Meseret Defar of Ethiopia, who came to Daegu seeking a double but failed to finish the 10,000m.

“I am happy to make the final after the disappointment of the 10,000m. I congratulated the Kenyans on their 1-2-3-4,” Defar said.

“Today I wanted to test my sprinting speed. We three Ethiopians will do our best.”

The evening could also have been about Allyson Felix’s bid for a 200m-400m double, but the 25-year-old American could only claim silver in the 400m behind Botswana‘s Amantle Montsho.