THE STANDARD (Kenya newspaper)
Was Vivian cheated?
Updated 9 hr(s) 6 min(s) ago
By Bismarck Mutahi
When Vivian Cheruiyot was named among the three finalists for the IAAF Athlete of the Year awards, many knew it was just a formality that the diminutive Kenyan would be crowned the woman Athlete of the Year in Monaco, France, on Saturday.
It came as a shock though when Australian hurdler Sally Pearson joined Jamaica star Usain Bolt to accept the top awards.
When the news broke to the country on Saturday night and yesterday morning, there was outrage among Kenyan fans that thought Cheruiyot, who was the most outstanding athlete of the year, had been robbed.
A number of Kenyans on social media expressed their disappointment with the way the IAAF had handled the issue saying they felt the best athlete was denied the top prize.
On the other hand, Athletics Kenya (AK) athletes’ representative Noah Ngeny, who spoke to FeverPitch on phone yesterday, said it was a big disappointment that Cheruiyot had not been named Athlete of the Year.
"Unless IAAF was using a different criteria and not results then Vivian (Cheruiyot) deserved to have won the award because she has done a lot this year.
“Compared to Pearson she has three world titles this year if you consider the World Cross and the two gold medals in Daegu, then she wins it hands down,” Ngeny said.
Ngeny said if the world leading time that Pearson ran in Daegu gave her high marks, then Cheruiyot had also run best time over 3,000m and 5,000m and she was ahead of the Australian in terms of achievements this year.
The former Olympic champion, who is the country’s representative of PACE Sports management which manages Cheruiyot among other athletes said PACE was also disappointed that Cheruiyot had missed out on the top award.
“As long as the award is based on performance throughout the year then Vivian should be the Athlete of the Year but I will not criticise IAAF because maybe I am not aware of what other things they were looking for apart from performance,” Ngeny said.
Sammy Rono, who was among the Kenyan coaches in Daegu, was also disappointed saying Cheruiyot had done much better than other female athletes this year and deserved to win the award.
“What she has done this year is incredible as she has three gold medals apart from the world best time she has run in the year,” Rono said.
AK though their Public Relations Officer Peter Angwenyi said it was a disappointment that Cheruiyot missed out but asked her not to lose hope as AK are planning to reward her at the end of the year.
Just for the record Cheruiyot won the World Cross Country senior women title in Punta Umbria, Spain before winning double gold at the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea over 5,000m and 10,000m.
She was also unbeaten in the Diamond League meetings and also ran the world leading times over 3,000m and 5,000m with the 14:20:89 time in the 12-lap race set in DN Galan meeting this year which was also the national record.
On the other hand Pearson only boasts of the 100m-world title having also run the fourth fastest time.
BUT THIS IS CLASSIC. KENYA’S CONSERVATIVE AND MOST RESPECTED DAILY NEWSPAPER “THE NATION” HAS JUMPED THE GUN BIG TIME, RUSHING INTO PRINT WITH A HUGE STORY ON HOW VIVIAN CHERUIYOT IS THE IAAF’S AOY. OOPS!
http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story.asp?storyid={c8595ff2-47fd-4056-9646-2725116e8b4e}