Eritrea’s Ghirmay Ghebreslassie celebrates winning the men’s marathon during the IAAF World Championships, at the ‘Bird’s Nest’ National Stadium in Beijing, on August 22, 2015 (AFP Photo/Olivier Morin)
Beijing (AFP) – Eritrean teenager Ghirmay Ghebreslassie claimed the first gold medal of the Beijing world championships when he sprinted away for a shock victory in the men’s marathon on Saturday.
The 19-year old took the lead from Lesotho’s Tsepo Ramonene Mathibelle on the 36km mark and saw off pressure from Ethiopian Yemane Tsegay for a memorable win at the iconic Bird’s Nest stadium in clear conditions and temperatures around 27 degrees Celsius (81F).
Ghebreslassie, who became the youngest ever world marathon winner in just his fourth race, clocked 2hr 12min 27sec, with Tsegay, fourth in 2009 and eighth in Moscow two years ago, taking silver in 2:13:07 and Munyo Solomon Mutai of Uganda the bronze (2:13:29).
It was Eritrea’s second ever world medal after Tadesse Zersenay’s silver in the 10,000m in the 2009 worlds in Berlin.
“Although I do not have much experience, I will work to make another special history in Rio,” Ghebreslassie said of his plans for next summer’s Olympic Games.
“The weather was very nice for me. Since childhood I grew up in similar weather conditions.
“I had decided to try to leave any group by the 34km mark,” he said of his pre-race strategy.
Mongolia’s Ser-Od Bat-Ochir had his moment of fame when he took the lead for a few early kilometres, but was quickly swept up by the chasing pack, Bahrain’s Ethiopian-born Shumi Dechasa setting much of the early pace.
The runners swept through the 10km mark in 31:51, and a surge through the following 5km saw the pack string out with Dechasa up front, and Uganda’s defending champion Stephen Kiprotich just five seconds off the pace in the chasing pack.
A definitive break predictably saw …Read More
Source:: PM Newspaper
