Kenya's Vivian Cheruiyot won the Olympic women's 5,000 metres final on Friday, breaking the Games record to stun pre-race favourite Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia to take gold.

World 5,000m champion Ayana was hunting her second gold medal of the Games after she shattered the 10,000m world record last week but it was 32-year-old Cheruiyot who triumphed with a superb tactical race to win in a time of 14.26:17.

Ayana looked to be on the way to another dominant victory after surging into a huge lead after four laps but the Ethiopian tired in the closing stages and was unable to hold off Cheruiyot's late surge.

Kenyan Hellen Onsando Obiri took silver behind Cheruiyot, who has won four world titles over 5,000m and 10,000m, and Ayana had to settle for bronze.