The Hindu : Sport / Olympic Games : Tomescu wins marathon

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Monday, Aug 18, 2008
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Sport - Olympic Games

Tomescu wins marathon

Special Correspondent

BEIJING: Constantina Tomescu of Romania won the women’s marathon gold, unchallenged on the streets of Beijing, with a season’s best time of two hours, 26 minutes and 44 seconds.

The bronze medallist of the last World championship and a former world champion in half-marathon, the 38-year-old Tomescu defied age and a strong field, to break away from the pack after 20 kilometres to eventually enter the stadium all alone for a convincing finish.

“I was pushing harder after 20 kilometres, and it surprised me that no one came with me. The last two kilometres, I just looked back and wanted to make sure no one was going to take my medal,” said Tomescu.

Ndereba takes silver

There was a fight for the silver, and the World champion Catherine Ndereba of Kenya clinched it, as she beat Zhou Chunxiu of China by one second.

The Chinese was, however, happy to win the host’s first athletics medal in Beijing with a season best 2:27:07

“I never get disappointed. To have a silver medal in my second Olympics, I consider that fantastic,” said Ndereba.

The Chinese who has a Japanese coach Shinya Takeuchi to plan race tactics and a Chinese coach, Liang Songli, to take care of her training, said that she was pleased with the medal.

She tried to overtake Ndereba after they started running inside the stadium almost together, but the Kenyan proved too good in the end.

“Although I couldn’t catch Ndereba, I tried my best. I am really satisfied with the result. I just love running,” said Zhou Chunxiu.

The defending champion, Mizuki Noguchi of Japan pulled out of the race on Wednesday, and Tomescu said that she could sympathise with her.

“I am sorry for her. Last year I had the same problem. I know what she feels now, to have an injury, before the Olympics.”

The Athens Games bronze medallist Deena Kastor of the U.S. pulled out of the race after five kilometres with a tendon injury in her foot.

Radcliffe 23rd

World record holder and former world champion, Paula Radcliffe of Britain, included in the British team earlier in the week after recovering from a stress fracture in her thigh, was 23rd, at 2:32:38.

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