Posted: August 22, 2007

Athletics (TPR): No Threepeat for Gharib - World Championships Marathon Update

From Bob Ramsak
© 2007 TRACK PROFILE Report, all rights reserved

OSAKA –- Jaouad Gharib, the two-time defending world champion in the men's marathon, won't be defending his title on Saturday in Osaka after all. "After having taken some extra time off after London due to a slight injury, he decided to forego the World Championships," said Eric Lilot, an associate of Demadonna Athletics, the firm which manages the Moroccan. Gharib finished fourth in the Flora London Marathon in April, clocking 2:07:54, and is currently preparing for a fall marathon, which has yet to be announced. In other marathon news, Romania's Constantina Domescu-Dita, the bronze medallist two years ago, has also pulled out due to lingering tendonitis in her right knee, according to a report published in today's Daily Yomiuri, a Tokyo-based English language daily. In her last appearance, the 37-year-old was third in London in April, clocking 2:23:55. Tomescu-Dita clocked a national record 2:21:30 at the 2005 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. The women's marathon is scheduled for Sunday, September 2, the final day of the championships. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest

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