RIO DE JANEIRO: Red-hot favorite Eliud Kipchoge stormed to a runaway gold medal in a wet men’s marathon on Sunday, the final day of competition at the Rio Olympics.
The Kenyan broke away at the 35km mark and romped home to win in a time of two hours, eight minutes, 44 seconds — over a minute quicker than Ethiopia’s Feyisa Lilesa, who took silver, before claiming his life could be in danger.
American Galen Rupp, the 10,000m silver medalist in London four years ago, claimed bronze in 2:10:05.
In the shadow of the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue, poking through the rain clouds from high above the city, Kipchoge produced a virtuoso performance as he added gold to the 5,000m silver he won in Beijing in 2008 and his bronze from Athens 2004.
“It really feels great,” said after winning Kenya’s sixth gold medal of the Games, all of them in athletics.
“I felt I had a little bit in the tank and it was comfortable, it was very comfortable. It’s my first gold medal, it’s the best win of my life.”
It was a seventh victory in eight marathons for the 31-year-old phenomenon, who won the London Marathon for the second year running in April, coming within eight seconds of Dennis Kimetto’s world record of 2:02:57.
A morning downpour put paid to any thoughts of a world record as 155 runners representing 80 countries splashed around the course snaking through the heart of Rio’s historic center in conditions miles removed from the holiday brochures of sun-kissed Rio.
Tokyo champion Lilesa had looked in the mood to push Kipchoge while Rupp kept pace after the trio dropped Ethiopian Lemi Berhanu just after the halfway point.
Kipchoge proved too strong, however, sprinting home along the home straight of the Sambadrome, home of Rio’s famed carnival, to loud cheers from Brazilian fans before dropping to his knees and crossing himself in celebration.
“I think the rain was a good advantage because the temperature in Brazil is terrible,” said Kipchoge, who was serenaded by local fans chanting “Kenya! Kenya!” after the race.
“The secret is good planning and good preparation. But I was really aiming for the gold medal here, not a world record.”
Rupp’s bronze was the third medal in 12 hours for controversial coach Alberto Salazar’s after golds by American Matthew Centrowitz in the 1,500m and Briton Mo Farah in 5,000m on Saturday.
“He beats the hell out of us in training,” said Rupp. “But having such a great group of guys in Mo and Matthew, it’s a great dynamic. We really help push each other.”
Claressa Shields retained her middleweight title with a deserved unanimous points decision on Sunday in Rio to become America’s first two-time Olympic boxing champion.
The 21-year-old comfortably defeated Nouchka Fontijn of the Netherlands to add to the gold she won at London 2012, with China’s Li Qian and Dariga Shakimova of Kazakhstan taking home bronze each.
Shields paraded round the ring afterwards screaming with an American flag fluttering behind her.
Shields, who has never looked in trouble at any point in Brazil, stalked her unfancied opponent in the first round, swinging wildly but missing on a couple of occasions until she made contact with a heavy right near the end of the round.
The Dutchwoman, 28, had most of the crowd in the 9,000-seat arena on her side — it is a case of supporting anyone but an American or an Argentine for many Brazilians in Rio — and they roared their approval when Fontijn enjoyed some success in the second.
She landed several times on Shields, but the American was starting to turn the screw and came out with real intent at the start of the third round.
The American was building a lead and had her hands down in a sign the confidence was flowing through her, as the pair went at one another at the end of the round with a flurry of wild punches.
Russia won a fifth straight gold in the rhythmic gymnastics group all-around event at the Rio Olympics on the final day of competition Sunday.
The five-woman team keep a title Russia have won at every Olympics since Sydney 2000. Spain took silver and Bulgaria bronze.
The Spanish had led after the first ribbon rotation by 0.100 on Bulgaria with Russia third at 0.200.
But the Russians came back on the second — clubs and hoops apparatus.
Russia scored 36.233 with Spain taking silver ahead of Bulgaria, with both scoring 35.766.
It kept Russia dominant in Olympic rhythmic gymnastics after Margarita Mamun’s gold in the individual all-around on Saturday.
The 20-year-old from Moscow took gold ahead of her world champion teammate Yana Kudryavtseva, with Ukraine’s Ganna Rizatdinova claiming bronze.
It was the fifth time that Russia have won both titles.
Switzerland’s Nino Schurter, third in Beijing and second in London, struck Olympic gold at his third attempt in Sunday’s men’s mountain bike competition.
The world champion was followed across the line by 2012 champion Jaroslav Kulhavy of the Czech Republic with Spanish rider Carlos Coloma taking bronze.
Up front Schurter, Kulhavy and Coloma seized control by the end of the first lap with Schurter pulling clear in the sixth and final lap.
France’s 2004 and 2008 champion Julien Absalon finished eighth on his Olympic farewell.
Slovakia’s road race champion Peter Sagan figured in the opening quarter of an hour before dropping away to finish among the back markers.
Sagan is not the first road racer to tackle this event, Australia’s Cadel Evans who won the world title on the road in 2009 came seventh at Sydney 2000.
The Kenyan broke away at the 35km mark and romped home to win in a time of two hours, eight minutes, 44 seconds — over a minute quicker than Ethiopia’s Feyisa Lilesa, who took silver, before claiming his life could be in danger.
American Galen Rupp, the 10,000m silver medalist in London four years ago, claimed bronze in 2:10:05.
In the shadow of the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue, poking through the rain clouds from high above the city, Kipchoge produced a virtuoso performance as he added gold to the 5,000m silver he won in Beijing in 2008 and his bronze from Athens 2004.
“It really feels great,” said after winning Kenya’s sixth gold medal of the Games, all of them in athletics.
“I felt I had a little bit in the tank and it was comfortable, it was very comfortable. It’s my first gold medal, it’s the best win of my life.”
It was a seventh victory in eight marathons for the 31-year-old phenomenon, who won the London Marathon for the second year running in April, coming within eight seconds of Dennis Kimetto’s world record of 2:02:57.
A morning downpour put paid to any thoughts of a world record as 155 runners representing 80 countries splashed around the course snaking through the heart of Rio’s historic center in conditions miles removed from the holiday brochures of sun-kissed Rio.
Tokyo champion Lilesa had looked in the mood to push Kipchoge while Rupp kept pace after the trio dropped Ethiopian Lemi Berhanu just after the halfway point.
Kipchoge proved too strong, however, sprinting home along the home straight of the Sambadrome, home of Rio’s famed carnival, to loud cheers from Brazilian fans before dropping to his knees and crossing himself in celebration.
“I think the rain was a good advantage because the temperature in Brazil is terrible,” said Kipchoge, who was serenaded by local fans chanting “Kenya! Kenya!” after the race.
“The secret is good planning and good preparation. But I was really aiming for the gold medal here, not a world record.”
Rupp’s bronze was the third medal in 12 hours for controversial coach Alberto Salazar’s after golds by American Matthew Centrowitz in the 1,500m and Briton Mo Farah in 5,000m on Saturday.
“He beats the hell out of us in training,” said Rupp. “But having such a great group of guys in Mo and Matthew, it’s a great dynamic. We really help push each other.”
Claressa Shields retained her middleweight title with a deserved unanimous points decision on Sunday in Rio to become America’s first two-time Olympic boxing champion.
The 21-year-old comfortably defeated Nouchka Fontijn of the Netherlands to add to the gold she won at London 2012, with China’s Li Qian and Dariga Shakimova of Kazakhstan taking home bronze each.
Shields paraded round the ring afterwards screaming with an American flag fluttering behind her.
Shields, who has never looked in trouble at any point in Brazil, stalked her unfancied opponent in the first round, swinging wildly but missing on a couple of occasions until she made contact with a heavy right near the end of the round.
The Dutchwoman, 28, had most of the crowd in the 9,000-seat arena on her side — it is a case of supporting anyone but an American or an Argentine for many Brazilians in Rio — and they roared their approval when Fontijn enjoyed some success in the second.
She landed several times on Shields, but the American was starting to turn the screw and came out with real intent at the start of the third round.
The American was building a lead and had her hands down in a sign the confidence was flowing through her, as the pair went at one another at the end of the round with a flurry of wild punches.
Russia won a fifth straight gold in the rhythmic gymnastics group all-around event at the Rio Olympics on the final day of competition Sunday.
The five-woman team keep a title Russia have won at every Olympics since Sydney 2000. Spain took silver and Bulgaria bronze.
The Spanish had led after the first ribbon rotation by 0.100 on Bulgaria with Russia third at 0.200.
But the Russians came back on the second — clubs and hoops apparatus.
Russia scored 36.233 with Spain taking silver ahead of Bulgaria, with both scoring 35.766.
It kept Russia dominant in Olympic rhythmic gymnastics after Margarita Mamun’s gold in the individual all-around on Saturday.
The 20-year-old from Moscow took gold ahead of her world champion teammate Yana Kudryavtseva, with Ukraine’s Ganna Rizatdinova claiming bronze.
It was the fifth time that Russia have won both titles.
Switzerland’s Nino Schurter, third in Beijing and second in London, struck Olympic gold at his third attempt in Sunday’s men’s mountain bike competition.
The world champion was followed across the line by 2012 champion Jaroslav Kulhavy of the Czech Republic with Spanish rider Carlos Coloma taking bronze.
Up front Schurter, Kulhavy and Coloma seized control by the end of the first lap with Schurter pulling clear in the sixth and final lap.
France’s 2004 and 2008 champion Julien Absalon finished eighth on his Olympic farewell.
Slovakia’s road race champion Peter Sagan figured in the opening quarter of an hour before dropping away to finish among the back markers.
Sagan is not the first road racer to tackle this event, Australia’s Cadel Evans who won the world title on the road in 2009 came seventh at Sydney 2000.
