Kenyan Kiplagat takes first gold and creates history
Dinesh Weerawansa reporting from Russia
|
Kenya’s Edna Ngeringwony Kiplagat celebrates after winning
the women’s marathon at the 2013 IAAF World Championships at
the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow on August 10, 2013. AFP PHOTO
|
MOSCOW, Aug. 10 - Kenya's defending champion Edna Kiplagat became the
first woman to win back-to-back world championships marathons and with
it accounted for the first gold medal of the 14th IAAF World
Championship which began at the Luzhniki Stadium in the Russian capital
here today.
Thus, she retained her World Championship title won in Daegu two
years ago. She had a good lead over unheralded Italian Valeria Straneo
who became the surprise silver medallist to turn the form book upside
down.
The Kenyan overcame hot and humid temperatures, which soared close to
30 degrees Celsius. Even then, Kiplagat had to overcame a neck-and-neck
battle with Straneo at the 40km mark, bursting ahead to finish with a
time of two hours, 25 minutes and 44 seconds. Straneo, the Italian
national record holder, ended up 14 seconds back at 2:25:58 - her
season's best. Japan's Kayoko Fukushi accounted for the bronze in
2:27:45.
It was a great come back by the 33-year-old Kenyan, who finished a
lackluster 20th at last year's London Olympics. She came to Moscow as
the pre-race favorite and possible challenger to Paula Radcliffe's
10-year-old world record of 2:15:25 hours.
Reigning Olympic gold medalist Tiki Gelana of Ethiopia was completely
off colour.
Kiplagat ran a conservative race, holding back until 35km had past,
before making a push at Straneo. The women's marathon started inside the
downtown Luzhniki stadium, snaked outside along the Moscow River
embankment toward the Kremlin before looping back to Luzhniki. Kiplagat
entered the stadium to a standing ovation. |
