JOIN USJemima Sumgong became the first Kenyan woman to win the Olympic Games marathon gold even as the Indians were beaten out of sight on a hot Sunday morning.
Sumgong, who had narrowly missed a medal at the World Championships last year, clocked two hours 24 minutes and four seconds, to finish in front of Bahrain’s Eunice Kirwa (2:24:13) and Ethiopia’s world champion Mare Dibaba (2:24:30).
O P Jaisha, the Indian record holder at 2:34:43, was 89th in 2:47:19 while her compatriot Kavita Raut Tungar ended 120th among 133 finishers, clocking 2:59:29.
Sumgong, the London Marathon champion, made the decisive move with two kilometres left. Kirwa stayed close to her but Dibaba could not match the pace.
“I was pretty disappointed that I was not able to make the podium (in worlds) but I knew one time, one day I’d be somewhere. I am extremely happy, I feel extremely proud, I can’t explain what I am feeling,” said Sumgong.
The weather was hot but Sumgong said it was the same for everyone. “I was never worried I would lose this. At 35km, I noticed that my other two team-mates had dropped off and that gave me the motivation to carry on. At 40km, I saw there were only three of us in front but I knew whatever happened, I couldn’t lose the gold, I knew I was on my way to history.”
Kenyans Helah Kiprop and Visiline Jepkesho as well as Ethiopians Tigist Tufa and Tirfa Tsegaye were among the early leaders but none of them could come into contention as the race progressed. Tufa, the 2015 London Marathon winner, was considered among the favourites but she pulled out after the 18km mark. Kirwa attempted to push the pace after 35 kilometres but Sumgong and Dibaba followed soon.
The three then took over and in the final stretch, Sumgong looked strong even as Kirwa seemed to tire a bit. But as the Kenyan asserted her authority to race towards the finish at Sambadromo, Kirwa held on to win silver.
“It was hot but everybody had to go through the heat. I had to control my body and listen to it carefully,” she said.
Results: Women’s marathon: Jemima Sumgong (Kenya) 2:24:04, 1; Eunice Kirwa (Bahrain) 2:24:13, 2; Mare Dibaba (Ethiopia) 2:24:30, 3.