Athletics: Gelana wins women’s marathon

Won in record time of two hours and 23 minutes seven seconds.

LONDON:

Ethiopia’s Tiki Gelana won gold in the women’s marathon on the streets of London, denying the powerful Kenyans their first Olympic crown in a Games record time of two hours and 23 minutes seven seconds.

Priscah Jeptoo, part of a Kenyan contingent eyeing a medals sweep after last year’s one-two-three at the world championships, took silver, five seconds behind Gelana. Russia’s Tatyana Petrova Arkhipova collected the bronze in 2:23:29. Gelana, who ran the second fastest time of 2012 in this year’s Rotterdam marathon, took charge of the race in the closing stages and 2011 world silver medallist Jeptoo did not have the strength to match her.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 6^th, 2012.