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Japan wins World Cup; Team USA 4th
By Parker Morse, Running USA wire
OSAKA, Japan - (August 25, 2007) - Kenya's Luke Kibet proved strongest in the battle of attrition which was the men's marathon at the 2007 World Championships. Kibet, 24, used a late race surge to earn the gold medal in 2 hours, 15 minutes, 59 seconds followed by Mubarak Hassan Shami of Qatar second in 2:17:18 and Viktor Röthlin of Switzerland third (2:17:25).
Started at 7:00am Saturday morning, Osaka local time, conditions were warm and humid even at the start and passed 30 degrees C / 80 degrees F during the course of the race. Japan won the World Cup team race, ahead of South Korea, Kenya and Team USA, respectively.
Kibet and countryman William Kiplagat worked together in the middle stages of the race to thin the huge lead pack down, eventually trimming the pack to four at 30K. Before 35K, however, Kibet broke away, opening a gap which would only grow as the race progressed. Kiplagat and Qatari Hussein Shami dueled for silver, but in the closing kilometers, Kiplagat dropped back. He eventually faded to eighth, staggered across the finish line, and was carried off in a stretcher.
Kiplagat was one of the lucky ones, as the race which started with 85 athletes finished only 57. The total of 28 DNFs, however, was significantly lower than the 37 who did not finish the 2005 World Championships Marathon in Helsinki, suggesting that those who adapted their strategy and preparation to the conditions and persevered, like the Japanese team, were those who did best.
Japan's winning World Cup team was boosted by strong closing performances as Tsuyushi Ogata, Satoshi Osaki and Toshinari Suwa finished 5th, 6th and 7th respectively; they were 15th, 17th and 26th at halfway.
After sticking to the back of the race for the early going, Team USA's marathoners also pushed ahead in the second half of the race, with success. Top finisher Mbarak Hussein made contact with the lead pack around halfway, shortly before Kibet and Kiplagat thinned it down. Hussein went on to finish 21st in 2:23:04.
His performance was supported by those of Mike Morgan, 23rd in 2:23:28, and Kyle O'Brien, 32nd in 2:28:28. Morgan was 53rd at halfway, and O'Brien 55th; they were 77th and 78th at 10K.
Behind Japan, whose combined times of 6:54:23 won the World Cup, came Korea (7:12:08) and Kenya (7:12:33) followed by the USA (7:15:00). Ethiopia finished fifth in 7:19:08. Team USA's fourth place finish matches their 2005 finish. The fourth U.S. finisher was Fernando Cabada, 50th in 2:35:48.
11th IAAF Track & Field World Championships - Osaka, JPN, Saturday, August 25, 2007
MEN'S MARATHON
1) Luke Kibet (KEN), 2:15:59, $60,000
2) Mubarak Hassan Shami (QAT), 2:17:18, $30,000
3) Viktor Röthlin (SUI), 2:17:25, $20,000
4) Yared Asmerom (ERI), 2:17:41, $15,000
5) Tsuyushi Ogata (JPN), 2:17:42, $10,000
6) Satoshi Osaki (JPN), 2:18:06, $6000
7) Toshinari Suwa (JPN), 2:18:35, $5000
8) William Kiplagat (KEN), 2:19:21, $4000
9) Janne Holmén (FIN), 2:19:36
10) José Manuel Martínez (ESP), 2:20:25
U.S.
21) Mbarak Hussein (USA), 2:23:04
23) Mike Morgan (USA), 2:23:28
32) Kyle O'Brien (USA), 2:28:28
50) Fernando Cabada (USA), 2:35:48
Simeon Sawe (USA), DNS
TEAM (World Cup)
1) Japan, 6:54:23, $20,000
2) South Korea, 7:12:08, $15,000
3) Kenya, 7:12:33, $12,000
4) USA, 7:15:00, $10,000
5) Ethiopia, 7:19:08, $8000
6) Tanzania, 7:23:20, $6000
Complete results, photos and more at: Osaka2007.IAAF.org.
Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director
(805) 696-6232; Fax = (805) 659-0016
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.RunningUSA.org.
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