Swiss defies heat for marathon gold
Source: Agencies |
August 2, 2010, Monday
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SWITZERLAND'S Viktor Roethlin broke from 25 kilometers to set up a commanding victory in the marathon on a hot, humid Sunday at the European championships in Barcelona.
Roethlin quickly built up a lead which he continued to increase, coming home in two hours 15: 31 seconds to give Switzerland its first medal of the championships and improve on his own silver from four years ago.
Former 10,000 meters European champion Jose Manuel Martinez of Spain was second over two minutes behind in 2:17.50 and Russian Dmitriy Safronov was third in 2:18.16.
Roethlin had finished behind Italian Stefano Baldini in Gothenburg four years ago.
Baldini, the 2004 Olympic champion, returned to competition after almost two years to defend his European title but dropped out around halfway having been up with the leading group for much of the time.
On Saturday, Briton Mo Farah destroyed his rivals to win the European 5,000 meters title and become only the fifth man to claim the continental distance double after Tuesday's gold medal in the 10,000.
Farah's tactics were spot-on - the Somalia-born 27-year-old upping the pace with three laps left and kicking strongly off the final bend to leave Spain's Jesus Espana and Hayle Ibrahimov of Azerbaijan trailing.
Flinging his arms wide as he crossed the line, Farah fell to his knees and kissed the pale-blue track before bursting into tears and embracing local favorite Espana, who pipped him to the gold four years ago.
"I didn't think my legs would let me do it but they did," a jubilant Farah told reporters.
"My main focus now is to get ready for the world championships next year and then the (2012 London) Olympics," he added. "As long as I remain injury free, I'll keep training hard."
The first Briton to take gold in the 10,000, Farah won Saturday's shorter event in 13:31.18 ahead of Espana, who sportingly congratulated his vanquisher after the race, in 13:33.12 and Ibrahimov with 13:34.15.
"I've waited for this for four years," Farah said in reference to being pipped to the gold by Espana in 2006.
Roethlin quickly built up a lead which he continued to increase, coming home in two hours 15: 31 seconds to give Switzerland its first medal of the championships and improve on his own silver from four years ago.
Former 10,000 meters European champion Jose Manuel Martinez of Spain was second over two minutes behind in 2:17.50 and Russian Dmitriy Safronov was third in 2:18.16.
Roethlin had finished behind Italian Stefano Baldini in Gothenburg four years ago.
Baldini, the 2004 Olympic champion, returned to competition after almost two years to defend his European title but dropped out around halfway having been up with the leading group for much of the time.
On Saturday, Briton Mo Farah destroyed his rivals to win the European 5,000 meters title and become only the fifth man to claim the continental distance double after Tuesday's gold medal in the 10,000.
Farah's tactics were spot-on - the Somalia-born 27-year-old upping the pace with three laps left and kicking strongly off the final bend to leave Spain's Jesus Espana and Hayle Ibrahimov of Azerbaijan trailing.
Flinging his arms wide as he crossed the line, Farah fell to his knees and kissed the pale-blue track before bursting into tears and embracing local favorite Espana, who pipped him to the gold four years ago.
"I didn't think my legs would let me do it but they did," a jubilant Farah told reporters.
"My main focus now is to get ready for the world championships next year and then the (2012 London) Olympics," he added. "As long as I remain injury free, I'll keep training hard."
The first Briton to take gold in the 10,000, Farah won Saturday's shorter event in 13:31.18 ahead of Espana, who sportingly congratulated his vanquisher after the race, in 13:33.12 and Ibrahimov with 13:34.15.
"I've waited for this for four years," Farah said in reference to being pipped to the gold by Espana in 2006.
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