Kenya's Kipchoge Romps to Rio Marathon Gold
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ATHLETICS | Page 2 MMOTOGPOTOGP | Page 10 Farah seals Crutchlow double-double wins rain-hit To Advertise here with gold Czech Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 in 5,000m MotoGP Monday, August 22, 2016 Dhul-Qa’da 19, 1437 AH FOOTBALL Vindicated Neymar delivers Brazil’s most treasured gold Page 5 FOCUS Medals tally Country G S B T 1 United States 44 37 38 119 2 Great Britain 27 22 17 66 3 China 26 18 26 70 Kenya’s Kipchoge romps 4 Russia 19 18 19 56 5 Germany 17 10 15 42 6 Japan 12 8 21 41 7 France 9 17 14 40 8 South Korea 9 3 9 21 to Rio marathon gold 9 Italy 8 12 8 28 10 Australia 8 11 10 29 ‘I had a little bit in the tank and it was comfortable. It’s my first gold medal, it’s the best win of my life’ 11 Netherlands 8 7 4 19 12 Hungary 8 3 4 15 13 Brazil 7 6 6 19 Men’s Marathon results (top 20) 14 Spain 7 4 6 17 15 Kenya 6 6 1 13 1. Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2:08:44 11. Abdi Nageeye (NED) 2:13:01 16 Jamaica 6 3 2 11 2. Feyisa Lilesa (ETH) 2:09:54 12. Mumin Gala (DJI) 2:13:04 3. Galen Rupp (USA) 2:10:05 13. Lemi Berhanu Hayle (ETH) 2:13:29 17 Croatia 5 3 2 10 4. Ghirmay Ghebreslassie (ERI) 2:11:04 14. Stephen Kiprotich (UGA) 2:13:32 18 Cuba 5 2 4 11 5. Alphonce Simbu (TAN) 2:11:15 15. Paulo Roberto Paula (BRA) 2:13:56 19 New Zealand 4 9 5 18 6. Jared Ward (USA) 2:11:30 16. Satoru Sasaki (JPN) 2:13:57 20 Canada 4 3 15 22 7. Tadesse Abraham (SUI) 2:11:42 17. Kaan Kigen OEzbilen (TUR) 2:14:11 8. Solomon Mutai (UGA) 2:11:49 18. Bayron Piedra (ECU) 2:14:12 21 Uzbekistan 4 2 7 13 9. Callum Hawkins (GBR) 2:11:52 19. Sondre Nordstad Moen (NOR) 2:14:17 22 Kazakhstan 3 5 9 17 10. Eric Gillis (CAN) 2:12:29 20. Oleksandr Sitkovskyy (UKR) 2:14:24 69 Qatar 0 1 0 1 STAR OF THE DAY Neymar of Brazil Today’s Star of the Day is Neymar, who gave Brazil a first Olympic football gold medal by burying the winning kick in the penalty shoot-out against Germany before putting the boot into his critics. The Barcelona star had also scored in normal time with a scintillating curled free-kick before Ger- many levelled to make the score 1-1 at the end of normal time. Olympic gold was the only major title to have escaped five-time world champions Brazil in their history. But Neymar righted that historical wrong as he fired the winning penalty into the top corner before breaking into tears. “This is one of the best things that has happened in my life,” said Neymar, who was heavily criticised for his underwhelming start to the Olympics. “Now they’ll (the critics) have to swallow what they said.” Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya celebrates after winning the men’s Marathon event in Rio de Janeiro yesterday. (Reuters) AFP Rio de Janeiro ed-hot favourite Eliud Kip- choge stormed to a runaway gold medal in a wet men’s marathon yesterday, the fi nal Rday of competition at the Rio Olym- pics. 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 sil- ver, before claiming his life could be in danger. American Galen Rupp, the 10,000m silver medallist in London four years ago, claimed bronze in 2:10:05. In the shadow of the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue, poking through Feyisa Lilesa crosses his arms above his head at the end of the men’s Marathon in the rain clouds from high above the protest against the Ethiopian government’s crackdown on political dissent. (AFP) city, Kipchoge produced a virtuoso performance as he added gold to the Tokyo champion Lilesa had looked Rio’s famed carnival, to loud cheers 5,000m silver he won in Beijing in 2008 in the mood to push Kipchoge while from Brazilian fans before dropping to and his bronze from Athens 2004. Rupp kept pace after the trio dropped his knees and crossing himself in cel- “It really feels great,” he told AFP af- Ethiopian Lemi Berhanu just after the ebration. ter winning Kenya’s sixth gold medal of halfway point. “I think the rain was a good ad- the Games, all of them in athletics. vantage because the temperature in “I felt I had a little bit in the tank and POLITICAL PROTEST Brazil is terrible,” said Kipchoge, who it was comfortable, it was very com- Lilesa crossed his arms above his head was serenaded by local fans chanting fortable. It’s my fi rst gold medal, it’s as he fi nished the race as a protest “Kenya! Kenya!” after the race. the best win of my life.” against the Ethiopian government’s “The secret is good planning and It was a seventh victory in eight mar- crackdown on political dissent. good preparation. But I was really aim- athons for the 31-year-old phenom- “I have relatives in prison back ing for the gold medal here, not a world enon, who won the London Marathon home,” he said. record.” for the second year running in April, “If you talk about democracy they Rupp’s bronze was the third medal coming within eight seconds of Dennis kill you. If I go back to Ethiopia maybe in 12 hours for controversial coach Al- Kimetto’s world record of 2:02:57. they will kill me, or put me in prison. berto Salazar’s after golds by American A morning downpour put paid to any “It is very dangerous in my country. Matthew Centrowitz in the 1,500m and thoughts of a world record as 155 run- Maybe I have to go to another country. Briton Mo Farah in 5,000m on Saturday. ners representing 80 countries splashed I was protesting for people everywhere “He beats the hell out of us in train- around the course snaking through the who have no freedom.” ing,” said Rupp. “But having such a heart of Rio’s historic centre in condi- Kipchoge proved too strong, how- great group of guys in Mo and Mat- tions miles removed from the holiday ever, sprinting home along the home thew, it’s a great dynamic. We really brochures of sun-kissed Rio. straight of the Sambadrome, home of help push each other.” Gulf Times 2 Monday, August 22, 2016 FOCUS SPOTLIGHT Farah denies Imperious Farah friendship with seals double-double tainted coach AFP if somebody asks you to take a Rio de Janeiro picture are you going to say no? ‘I can’t quite believe it. I wished for just one medal... It has been a long journey’ So many people come up to me,” said the Somali-born star. ritain’s Mo Farah sought “You can’t say no to everyone. to distance himself from He’s not a friend of mine, he’s Reuters the bronze. drugs-tainted Somali someone I’ve seen on the cir- Rio de Janeiro The medals were pre- coach Jama Aden fol- cuit. I’ve been competing since I sented approaching mid- Blowing victory in the Olympic was 12 years old and you can’t lie night in a deserted stadium, 5,000m fi nal in Rio. about it,” added Farah. riton Mo Farah be- a far cry from four years ago The 33-year-old, who became “You see people, you see came only the sec- when Farah was acclaimed the fi rst man in 40 years to re- coaches and that’s all it is. I don’t ond man to retain by 80,000 fans in his home tain the two Olympic distance know why you’re making a big both Olympic track city of London. crowns on Saturday, denied be- deal about it.” Blong-distance titles on Sat- “I didn’t just fl uke it in ing on close terms with Aden Aden, who trains Ethiopian urday when he produced an London, to do it again is in- after being questioned about the Genzebe Dibaba, the 1,500m utterly dominant perform- credible,” he said. two men’s relationship. women’s world record holder, ance to add the 5,000m gold Despite his pedigree, it “He’s not a close friend of was arrested after dawn raids of to the 10,000 he collected a looked as if Saturday’s race mine,” Farah told reporters. “Ob- several houses in Catalonia oc- week ago for a glorious dou- might be Farah’s most test- viously I see him on the circuit cupied by his training group in ble-double. ing of all as Ethiopian trio and I say ‘hi’ I respect everyone June. Farah followed Finland’s Dejen Gebremeskel, Muk- on the circuit. We all know each Anabolic steroids and syringes Lasse Viren, who won both tar Edris and Gebrhiwet all other and that’s it really.” were found, according to re- titles in 1972 and 1976, and passed up running in the Aden previously worked as an ports quoting the Catalan inte- having also done the double 10,000m to concentrate on “unoffi cial facilitator” for Farah rior minister, while a Moroccan twice at the world champi- the shorter distance.