Kenya dominates podium in women's 5,000m
Last Updated: Saturday, August 22, 2009 | 6:10 PM ET
CBC Sports
Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya, Meseret Defar of Ethiopia and Sylvia Kibet of Kenya compete Saturday in the women's 5,000-metre final at the world track and field championships in Berlin. (Michael Steele/Getty Images)It was a golden day on the track for Kenya, complete with a silver lining.
Vivian Cheruiyot won the women's 5,000 metres and countrywoman Sylvia Kibet took the silver on Saturday at the world track and field championships in Berlin.
The Kenyan men also finished 1-2 in the marathon earlier in the day. The double 1-2 finish gave Kenya four golds and 10 overall, and left Ethiopia with one gold and six overall.
Cheruiyot, who won in a time of 14 minutes, 58.33 seconds, placed second in the 2007 finals.
Defending champion Meseret Defar of Ethiopia (14:58.41) led coming down the home stretch but was forced to settle for bronze when she was overtaken by Kibet (14:58.33) at the line.
Phillips makes it 3
In the men's long jump finals, Dwight Phillips, 31, of the United States made it a three-peat on Saturday.
The American won at the 2003 and 2005 worlds and sealed the gold this time with a jump of 8.54m on his second attempt.
Phillips's performance contrasts how he was viewed after he finished fourth at last year's U.S. Olympic trials and failed to qualify for the Beijing Olympics.
"It was an extremely low point for me," Phillips said. "I had invested heavily in the real estate market, and that crashed in the United States. I didn't make the Olympic team. I was injured. All the press said, 'It's over for him.'
"They had pretty much written my obituary. The undertaker had taken out my organs, and I was dead. But today I was able to rise to the top and I'm just happy with that."
Godfrey Khotso Mokoena of South Africa took silver at 8.47m and Mitchell Watt of Australia won bronze at 8.36m.
Olympic and defending world champion Irving Saladino of Panama had a disappointing day as he was eliminated after scratching on his first three attempts.
In the men's pole vault final, Olympic champion Steve Hooker of Australia battled through injury to win the gold medal.
Hooker took two jumps and on his best, cleared 5.89m to snatch gold ahead of two Frenchmen. Romain Mesnil took silver at 5.85m and Renaud Lavillenie clinched the bronze at 5.80m.
The defending champion, American Brad Walker, sat out with pelvic injury.
With files from the Associated Press
