By DPA
Osaka : Luke Kibet kept his cool Saturday to win Kenya’s first marathon gold in 20 years in the hottest race in World Championship history.
Kibet, 24, broke a small leader group at the 30-km mark and won the classic 42.195 km race in 2:15:59 seconds, the first gold on offer at the nine-day championships.
It was only Kenya’s second win in the men’s marathon at the 11th edition of the World Championship, the other coming in 1987 in Rome from Douglas Wakiihuri.
Kenya-born Qatari Mubarak Hassan Shami got the silver in 2:17:18 and Swiss ace Viktor Rothlin got bronze in 2:17:25 seconds. Home hero Tsuyoshi Ogata came close to medalling but had to settle for the fifth spot.
Conditions were tough for the 92 starters, with temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius despite an early 7 a.m. start and 33 degrees on the finish, higher than the previous record 30 in Seville 1999. Several runners collapsed and only 57 finished.
“I felt comfortable despite the hot weather. I know it is my eighth marathon and I am proud to win the gold for my country,” said Kibet, who earlier this year got his first city marathon win in Vienna. “It has been a long time for Kenya.”
Rothlin, who got used to the heat by training in nearby Kobe the past three weeks, said: “I wanted to get a medal today, the colour would not be important. I was thinking I could get it while I was running at third position at some point during the last stages of the race. Unfortunately I could not run the same pace at the end.”
Two-time defending champion Jaouad Gharib did not compete due to injury and Haile Gebrselassie rather concentrated on a big autumn run instead of attempting the world title after four 10,000 m golds.
Two further medal events were scheduled for the evening session, the men’s shot put and women’s 10,000 m where Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba aimed to start her bid for a successive long distance double.
In other morning action, world record holder Tyson Gay of Jamaica and American ace Tyson Gay started their 100 m campaign by qualifying at ease in 10.34 and 10.19 seconds, respectively.
“This is the fastest track I have ever been on. I tried to run 10.2 or 10.3 but I couldn’t run slow,” said Gay.
European champion and Olympic silver medallist Francis Obikwelu of Portugal was disqualified over a false start and US runner Mark Jelks was eliminated after twisting his ankle.
Defending champion Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain qualified for the 1,500 m semis along with American contender Alan Webb while top pick Guinara Samitova-Galkina of Russia made the 3,000 m steeplechase final.
Carolina Kluft of Sweden kicked off her heptathlon campaign for a third world title with a personal best 13.15 seconds in the 100 m hurdles. Only Briton Jessica Ennis was faster in 12.97, with the high jump, shot put and 200 m later in the day.