BEIJING: Bahrain’s Eunice Kirwa claimed the bronze medal in the women’s marathon on the final day of the World Athletics Championship yesterday.
The reigning Asian champion Kirwa finished, in 2:37.39, behind Ethiopia’s Mare Dibaba and Kenya’s Helah Kiprop after a thrilling sprint finish along the home straight of the Beijing National Stadium yesterday.
The 25-year-old Dibaba out-kicked Kenya’s Kiprop (2:27.36) to win the gruelling event by just one second, crossing the finish line in two hours, 27 minutes and 35 seconds.
The long-striding Kiprop briefly threatened to take the gold medal when she loomed up on the outside of Dibaba with 50 metres left to run but couldn’t get past the pint-sized Ethiopian.
Kiprop faded slightly and had to settle for the silver medal.
Ethiopia has a long and proud tradition in marathon running but Dibaba was the first Ethiopian female to win the lung-sapping event at the world championships.
Another Bahraini in action yesterday, Mimi Belete finished 11th in the women’s 5,000m, an event which the Ethiopians made a clean sweep of.
“I’m so happy to get the first medal for my country,” she said through a translator.
“Just after 40kms, I tried to test them. I came out in front because I wanted to control. Then we came into the stadium, I just tried my best.
“I take off and I win the marathon.”
Dibaba went into the race as the favourite after recording the fastest time in the world this year but was unable to shake off her mostly East African challengers on a overcast morning in the Chinese capital where conditions were less brutal than usual.
Dozen
There were still a dozen runners in the leading pack at the 30-km mark but as the pace picked up, they slowly began to drop off.
By the 35-km mark, just six remained in the leading bunch, then five as they passed 40 kms.
Kenya’s Edna Kiplagat, who won the last two world championships marathons, dropped from the leading group about two kilometres from the finish and settled for fifth.
But there were still four women in contention when they reached the Bird’s Nest stadium. Kenya’s Jemima Sumgong lost touch in the entry tunnel and missed out on the podium despite finishing just seven seconds behind the winner.
n First deputy president of Supreme Council for Youth and Sports and president of Federation of West Asian Athletics and Bahrain Athletics Federation Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa congratulated Eunice Kirwa on winning the marathon bronze medal.