Kiplagat makes history in women's marathon as Irish entry drops out
Edna Kiplagat made history in becoming the first athlete to win back-to-back women’s marathon world titles in retaining her crown in Moscow this afternoon.
The Kenyan’s winning time of 2 hours 25 minutes 44 seconds was three minutes faster than her winning time from Daegu two years ago, despite the race beginning at 2pm local time in Moscow, to facilitate Japanese primetime television.
Valeria Stroneo was only 50 metres behind at the end, 14 seconds down, to claim Italy’s first women’s marathon world medal since 1995, with Kayoko Fukushi third for Japan.
Ireland’s Maria McCambridge only reached the 8km stage before dropping out, having been placed 46th after the first time-check at 5km.
It rounded off a disappointing opening morning for the Irish in Moscow, after Mark English and Paul Robinson both bowed out of the 800m first round.
English was fourth in his heat with a competitive mark of 1 minute, 47.08 seconds – but couldn’t get a fastest losers mark.
Nick Symmonds of the USA won the heat in 1:46.90, with Qatar’s Musaeb Abdulrahman Balla second and Samir Jamaa of Morocco third, 0.14 seconds ahead of English, with Symmonds – fifth at the Olympics - just 0.18 ahead of the Irishman.
Robinson finished sixth in his heat in 1:48.61, three seconds down on his personal best set earlier this year.
Jennifer Carey will be hoping her winning form on Irish soil in 2013 continues in Moscow as she competes in her 400m heats around 3:30 Irish time.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Olympic champion Sergey Kirdyapkin has pulled out of Wednesday’s 50m walk – the event in which Ireland’s Rob Heffernan finished fourth at the Olympics. Heffernan and Brendan Boyce now have a stronger chance to make their mark on Moscow’s streets in this event.
