Santilan sets new marathon record
Sarath PREMATILAKE from Beijing
The final athletics gold medals were awarded on the final day of the
13th Paralympic Games which was concluded in Beijing, China yesterday.
The medals were decided in five categories of the Marathon.
Australia’s Kurt Fearnley fought off a spirited fight from Japan’s
Sasahara Hiroki to win back-to-back Men’s Marathon - T54 Paralympic gold
medal.
The Marathons started in front of the National Museum, on the east
side of Tiananmen Square, and finished in the National Stadium. The
42.195km route passed the Temple of Heaven, the China National Grand
Theater, the Capital Gymnasium, Peking University, Tsinghua University
and the Olympic Sports Center.
Fearnley finished with a Paralympic record (1:23.17), and will leave
Beijing with one gold, two silver and one bronze medals. Sasahara picked
up his first medal (silver) in Beijing, in 1:23:17. Ernst van Dyk of
South Africa secured the bronze medal, in 1:23:18.
Dyk also won a cycling gold medal, in the Men’s Individual Road Race,
on September 14. The 11-year-old world record (1:20:14) set by Heinz
Frei of Switzerland remained safe for another competition. Frei finished
in 14th place, in 1:25:43.
In a congested final lap of the National Stadium, Edith Hunkeler
(Switzerland) broke away from the pack to win with a Paralympic record
(1:39:59). She will add this medal to the bronze she won in Tuesday
night’s Women’s 1500m - T54 final. Amanda McGrory of the United States
finished in 1:40:00 to secure the silver, ahead of bronze medallist
Sandra Graf of Switzerland, in 1:40:01. McGrory now has one gold, one
silver and two bronze medals from Beijing, while Graf’s bronze is her
first Paralympic medal.
Italian Francesca Porcellato’s world record (1:38:29) wasn’t
challenged. Porcellato finished ninth in Wednesday’s final, in 1:54:27.
The Athens silver medallist, Thomas Geierspichler of Austria, set a
world record (1:40:07) to pick up the gold.
Japan’s Ueyonabaru Hirokazu secured his first Paralympic medal, the
silver, in 1:40:10.
Athens gold medallist Takada Toskihiro, also from Japan picked up the
bronze medal, in 1:40:20. Takada will leave Beijing with two silvers and
one bronze.
Mexico’s Mario Santillan had the Stadium to himself, as he crossed
the line in a world record (2:27:04). Tito Sena from Brazil entered the
National Stadium for the silver, in 2:30:49. Italy’s Walter Endrizzi won
bronze, in 2:32:51. Qi Shun of China had the crowd on their feet
cheering, as he picked up the gold in 2:30:32. Qi concentrated all of
his efforts in Beijing on the Marathon, and his dedication paid off.
Colombia’s Elkin Serna secured his first Paralympic medal, the
silver, in 2:31:16, ahead of bronze medallist Ildar Pomykalov of Russia,
in 2:33:27.
Beijing, Wednesday |
