tching rather than playing as the Pirates try to take an important step toward escaping from the cloud of 20 consecutive losing s

RIO DE JANEIRO -- With one last chance for a gold medal in what is probably her last Olympics, Vivian Cheruiyot turned to -- who else -- Usain Bolt for a pre-race pep talk. Cheap Portland Trail Blazers Jerseys .Guess what? It worked.The Kenyan said she shared a few words with Bolt before her 5,000-meter final at the Olympic Stadium on Friday. Then she ran down world champion and heavy favorite Almaz Ayana to win a long-awaited first Olympic title. She also set a new Games record.It was my fourth Olympic Games, and I had not got gold, the 32-year-old Cheruiyot said. Almaz can go fast. ... Today I said, I am going to follow her. I am not going to lose her.Ayana set a world record to win gold in the 10,000 meters a week ago and opened a big gap in Fridays 5K final. But the Ethiopian suddenly faded, and Cheruiyot and Kenyan teammate Hellen Obiri saw their chance.Cheruiyot surged, breezing past Ayana with around two laps to go to win in 14 minutes, 26.17 seconds, breaking an Olympic record that has stood for 16 years. Obiri followed home in second for silver, 3.60 seconds behind Cheruiyot for a Kenyan 1-2.Ayana, who was tipped to have a crack at the 5,000 world record in the final after missing it by just a second in June, slumped and held on grimly for third in 14:33.59.I saw her, I saw shes not running smoothly and also she was slow, Cheruiyot said. She was not going good and we were coming, and I said to Hellen, Lets go, lets go. We are going to get something.The victory gave Cheruiyot revenge for her second-place finish behind the Ethiopian in the 10,000 earlier in these Games and finally put her on the top of the podium at her fourth Olympics, and after a silver and a bronze at London 2012, and another silver a week ago.All three medalists crossed inside the former Olympic record of 14:40.79 set by Romanias Gabriela Szabo at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Not surprisingly, the five top finishers were all from Kenya or Ethiopia.The 24-year-old Ayana, completely dominant in the 10,000, was expected to challenge Ethiopian compatriot Tirunesh Dibabas world record of 14:11.15 in the 5,000 final. Halfway through she had taken control after an early break by Japans Miyuki Uehara and opened a big gap on the chasers.But, on a warm night in Rio, Cheruiyot paced herself better, sinking Ayanas bid for a 5,000-10,000 double at her first Olympics.Nikki Hamblin, the runner whose act of sportsmanship alongside American Abbey DAgostino in the 5,000 meters heats warmed hearts at the Olympics, finished last in the final in 16:14.24 -- still a personal best for the New Zealander.I went out there and I tried to compete, I tried as hard as I could, Hamblin said. I hung on for a while and then the move came and I didnt have the legs.The two were involved in one of the feel-good moments of the games when they collided in their heat and both tumbled. DAgostino first helped Hamblin to her feet and encouraged her to finish the race. The American then realized she had sustained a bad knee injury. Hamblin returned the favor by helping her, and DAgostino finished the race while grimacing in pain with torn knee ligaments.Both runners were given a place in Fridays final because of the collision but DAgostino didnt run because of her knee injury.Hamblin said shed now relive the moment on TV.Probably have to go back and rewatch it and have a cry about it and relive the Olympic moment, she said. Cheap Utah Jazz Jerseys . -- Most satisfying to Russ Smith about No. Cheap Philadelphia 76ers Jerseys . -- PGA TOUR Canada member Steve Saunders took a three-stroke lead Saturday in the Web. http://www.cheapnbaoutletjerseys.com/?ta...valiers-jerseys . Mickelson barely made the cut but had the best round of the day with nine birdies and an eagle coupled with two bogeys to sit two shots behind leader Craig Lee of Scotland. Lee shot a 69 for a 12-under 204 total. "I just love the fact I am in contention and have an opportunity in my first tournament of the year here in Abu Dhabi," Mickelson said.PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Pirates closer Jason Grilli has no intention of sitting out the Pirates bid for their first post-season appearance in more than two decades. Grilli remains out indefinitely with a strained tendon in his right (throwing) arm, but said Monday "Im going to be ready before the seasons out, you can mark my word on that." The 36-year-old made the first All-Star team of his career earlier this month and has converted 30 of 31 save opportunities but experienced searing pain in his right forearm while trying to finish off a victory over the Washington Nationals last Monday. Grilli acknowledges hed been dealing with some discomfort in the arm for awhile and wasnt 100 perfect but doesnt see any benefit in wondering if he should have come out sooner. "Im not going to put myself in a position, could I have shut myself down earlier? Thats all in hindsight," he said. "I could have. But Im the type of guy that wants to get the ball every time. Thats the way Ive been my entire career." An MRI revealed no damage to his elbow, something Grilli called "the best possible scenario." Instead of surgery he will rest the arm for another week before being re-examined. Though there is no timetable for hhis return, the usual recovery period for a strained flexor is 1-2 months. Cheap NBA Jerseys China. Still, it hasnt exactly been fun for Grilli to play the cheerleader instead of the hammer at the back of one of the best bullpens in the majors. "Its hard to watch baseball going on without you," he said. "But Im here in this clubhouse and not on a surgery table." Mark Melancon, who made the All-Star team as a setup man, is filling in for Grilli and has converted both save chances since moving into the closers role as the Pirates try to chase down St. Louis in the NL Central race. The Cardinals have a 1.5-game lead heading into a five-game set in Pittsburgh that is the biggest series at PNC Park since it opened in 2001. Its a showdown Grilli has been pointing to for weeks. Hell spend it watching rather than playing as the Pirates try to take an important step toward escaping from the cloud of 20 consecutive losing seasons. Its a cloud hes done his best to part. Whenever his right arm tells him its ready to go, he believes there will still be important games to play. The Pirates and the Cardinals meet in St. Louis from Aug. 13-15 and again in Pittsburgh Aug. 30-Sept. 1. 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