Uganda’s Stephen Kiprotich celebrates after winning the marathon final at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow yesterday. (AFP)
Ugandan Stephen Kiprotich added the world marathon gold to his Olympic title yesterday, again shutting out strong Ethiopian and Kenyan squads.
The Ugandan prison warden clocked 2hr 09min 51sec around the streets of Moscow, with Ethiopian duo Lelisa Desisa (2:10.12) and Tadese Tola (2:10.23) claiming silver and bronze respectively.
It was Uganda’s second world gold medal after Dorcus Inzikuru won the 3000m steeplechase at the 2005 worlds in Helsinki, and only the African nation’s fourth medal ever.
“I’m very happy the race was competitive,” said Kiprotich. “I realised I could win after 40km. Then I just kept pushing.
“I decided to break off but my competitors were strong and I had to apply some tactics.”
The 24-year-old, who placed ninth at the 2011 worlds in Berlin, caused a big surprise to win on the streets of London last summer but was some way off the pace on his return to the British capital for the London Marathon in April.
However, he timed his run to perfection in Moscow against a raft of more favoured opponents, although the Kenyan squad were missing double defending champion Abel Kirui, who was out injured.
Ethiopian Tsegay Kebede, the 2008 Olympic and 2009 world bronze medallist who eventually placed fourth here, took up the early running after Brazil’s Solonei Da Silva ran out of steam in hot, sunny conditions.
Morocco’s Hafid Chani then took the pack through 15km in 46:39, but the Kenyan quintet and the Ethiopians were always there or thereabouts, with Tola again leading the contenders.
Uganda’s Jackson Kiprop led the field through the halfway mark in 1:05.12, with Japan’s Kentaro Nakamoto the sole non-African in the top 10, the Japanese runner going on to finish in fifth.
After 90 minutes of running, Kiprotich, Tola and Kenyan Peter Some finally made a move as the field broke up.
But Kebede, Kiprop and Desisa caught the trio up, and the stage was set for the showdown between the two nations everyone expected.
However, it was not an Ethiopian or Kenyan who had it in them to up the pace, but Kiprotich, taking Tola and Desisa with him, Some falling off and then Tola.
The Ugandan then accelerated away again, zig-zagging across the street leading up to the Luzhniki Stadium in a bid to shake off Desisa, who set a world-leading mark to win the Dubai Marathon in 2:04:45 before going on to win the Boston Marathon
The tactic finally paid off, Kiprotich building up a comfortable lead and running into the stadium with one arm raised in victory salute.
“With 2km to go, I thought I could compete with Kiprotich,” said Desisa. “Normally I’m a good finisher since I am originally a 10,000m runner.
“But I wasn’t able to change gear, maybe because I didn’t feel well and vomited after breakfast.
“Before the race, we were aiming for an Ethiopian sweep and we worked a lot as a team. We ended up with silver and bronze, which is not that bad at all.”