Cheruiyot completes distance gold double

DAEGU, South Korea, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Kenyan Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot completed a women's distance double gold at the IAAF World Championships in South Korea by winning the 5,000 meters Friday.

Cheruiyot defended her 2009 world championship in the 5,000 by finishing nearly a second ahead of Sylvia Jebiwott Kibet, another Kenyan, in 14 minutes, 55.36 seconds. Kibet was timed at 14:56.21 and Ethiopia's Meseret Defar was third in 14:56.94.

Cheruiyot had won the 10,000 Saturday as Kenyans took the first four places in the race. She is the second woman to win the 5,000-10,000 double in the same world championships.

The U.S. team of Greg Nixon, Bershawn Jackson, Angelo Taylor and LaShawn Merritt claimed the 4x400-meter men's relay by more than half a second. The Americans crossed in 2:59.31. South Africa (2:59.87) was second and Jamaica (3:00.10) third.

Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown, the runner-up in the 100, collected the gold medal in the women's 200 meters in 22.22 seconds. Carmelita Jeter, who won the 100, was second at 22.37 and third place was taken by three-time World Champion Allyson Felix at 22.42.

American Dwight Phillips leaped 8.45 meters on his second attempt and that stood to take the gold medal in the men's long jump. Australian Mitchell Watt was second at 8.33 and Zimbabwe's Ngonidzashe Makusha was third at 8.29

David Storl of Germany had a heave of 21.78 meters in his final attempt in winning the men's shot put. Canadian Dylan Armstrong took the silver with a distance of 21.64 and Bulgarian Andrei Mikhnevich was third at 21.40.

Russian Maria Abakumova set a championship record in the women's javelin with a throw of 71.99 meters. Czech Barbora Spotakova, the world record-holder and Olympic champion, was second at 71.58 and Sunette Viljoen of South Africa won the bronze medal at 68.38.

Jamaican Usain Bolt, behind France's Christophe Lemaitre, had the second-best qualifying time in the semifinals of the men's 200. The 200 final caps Saturday's World Championship schedule, which includes eight other finals. The meet wraps up Sunday.

The United States, with nine gold, five silver and two bronze medals, leads the medal chart. Russia, with five golds and eight other medals, and Kenya, with five golds and seven others, are next on the list.