Kenya's Wanjiru wins gold

2008-08-24 05:36

Beijing - Samuel Wanjiru relished the heat as he ended Kenya's Olympic marathon drought on Sunday, on the final day of the Games that have seen China emerge as the dominant global sports power.

As the closing 12 events are played out after 15 days of competition, China has 49 gold medals, 15 more than the United States on 34, with Russia winning 21 titles and Great Britain 19.

The morning belonged to Wanjiru, striding purposefully to Kenya's first marathon gold medal, and celebrating the hot sun as be broke the 24-year-old Games record while those around him wilted.

Wanjiru said as temperatures rose towards 20 degrees: "I had to push the pace to tire the other runners. I had to push the pace because my body gets tired in the heat when I slow down.

Lel faded to fifth

"It feels good to make history here. It feels good to make history for Kenya and win the gold."

Kenya may have won according to the script, but the principal actors were different as the outstanding Martin Lel, a triple London marathon winner, faded to fifth and it was half-marathon specialist Wanjiru who pulled through.

The final day in Beijing, before the Games mantle is passed on to London, also sees six more finals in the troubled boxing arena, while a team of US millionaire superstars try to regain lost glory in basketball.

Gold is also on offer in handball, rhythmnic gymnastics, volleyball and water polo.

All combat sports have been bediviled by complaints of biased judging, none more so than boxing, forcing Wu Ching-kuo, the president of the sport's governing body AIBA to promise a shake-up.

'We need re-education'

"You can see from this tournament how we need to upgrade the level of the judges," he said. We need re-education and re-training to achieve a higher level. No more cheating, no more manipulation but better referee judges."

The US basketball team's quest for redemption promised to be one of the most compelling closing-day dramas, as the team packed with National Basketball Association heavyweights battled world champion Spain in the final.

The men's volleyball final gives Brazil the chance to inflict a double blow on the US a day after beating the North Americans in the women's final.

The Games have thrown up a galaxy of stars from Michael Phelps with his unprecedented eight gold medals to Usain Bolt becoming the fastest man on earth.

Out of Games

There are also the hard luck stories such as Italian weightlifter Genny Pagliaro who failed her first three attempts and was out of the Games in a matter of minutes on the first morning.

For China, the investment of more than $40bn on the Games reaped handsome rewards, and on Sunday evening they hand over the Olympics to London which is talking of a more modest affair in 2012.

To show off the next Games city, the London organisers plan to introduce themselves to a global audience with the help of Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Leona Lewis and football icon David Beckham.

- AFP