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BUDAPEST: Uganda’s Victor Kiplangat won the men’s marathon at the World Athletics Championships on Sunday, while Maru Teferi of Israel finished with silver despite taking a tumble.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Kiplangat broke away on his own with about 4 km (2.5 miles) to go, crossing the finish line with a time of two hours, 8 minutes, 53 seconds — 19 seconds ahead of Teferi.
The race had appeared to be heading for a close finish, with Kiplangat and Ethiopia’s Leul Gebresilase enjoying a sizeable lead as they entered the final 10 km lap, but Gebresilase faded late and was left behind by the 23-year-old Ugandan.
“When I reached 30 km I knew I felt strong and decided to push. I had great energy and that allowed me to go. Then at 35 km I could surge again,” Kiplangat said after his victory. “That was always my plan and I managed to do it. The pace was high but I had more to give. It was tough but I always felt I had the power. I know the Ethiopian was close but I was sure it was my day.”
An exhausted Gebresilase was then overtaken by Teferi, a silver medallist at last year’s European Athletics Championships, in the last 200 metres. The Ethiopian, who clocked 2:09:19, ended with bronze.
Teferi, who fell over in the latter stages of the race before roaring back to claim silver, said: “I wanted to get the best out of me and this competition was my biggest target. I am glad I managed to fulfil my dream.
“I fell down after the 30 km and tore my t-shirt. Somebody touched me and I just fell but I tried to move on to finish the race in the best possible condition.”
Defending champion Tamirat Tola, who was part of a three-man breakaway with Kiplangat and Gebresilase before fading, did not finish the race and dropped out after 39 km.
On a balmy day in Budapest, the mercury kept rising steadily after the 7 a.m. start.
The early pace was perhaps more brisk than the athletes would have preferred in the conditions, as the chasing pack attempted to keep within touching distance of early leader Ser-Od Bat-Ochir of Mongolia.
Bat-Ochir built up a lead of 35 seconds as he forged ahead on his own, but the pace proved unsustainable and he was reeled in just before the 10 km mark.
A pack of about 30 runners then slowed the pace and took control of it, before Kiplangat, Gebresilase and Tola made their move with 10 km to go.
Kiplangat’s victory made him the first Ugandan champion since Stephen Kiprotich in 2013, and the first non-Ethiopian winner since 2017.
GOLD RUSH FOR LYLES, RICHARDSON, KIPYEGON
In the evening session on Saturday, Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson won their third and second golds respectively by anchoring the United States to 4x100m relay triumphs.
On an enthralling night’s action Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis and Faith Kipyegon rubberstamped their authority in their events.
Charismatic Swede Duplantis retained his pole vault title, although he fell short of bettering his own world record, whilst Kenyan Kipyegon became the first woman to achieve the 1500 and 5,000m double, when she won the latter.
It was a night of firsts for Canada, who had earlier in the championships swept both the men’s and women’s hammer titles.
Marco Arop and Pierce LePage became the first Canadians to win the men’s 800m title and decathlon respectively.
Olympic champion Damian Warner gilded the lily for Canada in the decathlon, taking silver.
Yet another medal came Canada’s way with Sarah Mitton finishing second in the women’s shot put.
Mitton lost out to USA’s Chase Ealey, who, like Duplantis, retained her title.
Lyles and Richardson, though, stole the show.
Lyles held up three fingers as he raced across the line, a big grin spread across his face as he added relay gold to his 100/200m double.
In achieving the double he became the fifth man to do so and with the treble the first since Usain Bolt in 2015 to sweep the lot.
Bolt, however, did it three times.
“This is the third gold for me here,” said 26-year-old Lyles. “It’s sensational, amazing. You can’t do better. It’s out of control.”
Richardson’s run over the line ended in less elegant fashion as her momentum carried her into Lyles’ team-mate Christian Coleman, both of them ending up on the ground.
“Dreams like this come true,” said Richardson of her relay gold.
Kipyegon underlined her status as one of the all-time greats of distance running, the 29-year-old once again in these championships outclassing The Netherlands’ 5000m Olympic champion Sifan Hassan.
“I have been patient waiting to be able to break world records and win double golds. But my dream just came true, it is amazing,” said Kipyegon.
LePage turned silver last year into gold with a fabulous performance on the second day of the decathlon, even more so as he had a problematic hamstring.
“I went all in from this morning and it makes me really proud,” said the 27-year-old. “It is nice to share this podium with him (Warner).”
Duplantis enjoyed a pretty routine defence of his title, saying: “I’m really happy about all these consecutive golds.
“I don’t know where this one ranks but I’m happy to keep winning.
“This was maybe the craziest atmosphere I’ve ever competed in so it meant a lot to be able to turn on a pole vault show for them.”
Arop produced a masterful run, calmly staying at the back of the field until pushing the button down the back straight. The 24-year-old was never in trouble once he hit the front.
Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2023
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