EDMONTON, Alberta -- Ethiopian Olympic marathon champion Gezahegne Abera won a desperately exciting sprint finish over Kenya's Simon Biwott to win the closest finish ever in the event at the World Track and Field Championships on Friday.
|  | | Gezahegne Abera kept his cool in a tight race against Kenya's Simon Biwott, left. |
The pair were inseparable over the final miles of the
26-mile race before Abera surged past Biwott, the 2000 Berlin Marathon champion, with 200 meters remaining and was timed in 2 hours, 12 minute, 42 seconds. Stefano Baldini of Italy was third at 2:13:18.
He is the only man to hold both the world and Olympic titles.
Abera's victory was worth $60,000. The previous closest marathon finish at the championships was five seconds, in 1997, when Spain's Abel Anton won the first of his two titles, beating countryman Martin Fiz.
"It's unbelievable to add the world title to my Olympic title," Abera said. "I always felt confident I could make up the ground and outsprint him."
Biwott said, "I thought when I made the break I could shake him off. But when he pulled alongside, I knew he had the kick to beat me."
The second day of competition began with qualifying rounds of the men's shot put on a cool Saturday morning. Later in the day, Maurice Greene was to begin defense of his 100-meter title in first- and second-round heats.
Khalid Khannouchi's gallant attempt to win a gold medal in his first race representing the United States turned into a bitter disappointment. Khannouchi was running less than a month after dropping out of another race with back spasms.
The race began in 80-degree temperature, most uncomfortable for the 103-man field, and turned into a race of attrition.
Ronnie Holassie of Trinidad & Tobago led for half the race before dropping out, but the biggest name to stop was Khannouchi.
Khannouchi, a native of Morocco, dropped out at the 15½-mile
mark, just where Morocco's Abdelkahar El Mouaziz swept into the
lead.
When Khannouchi stopped, he took off his shoes, sat down, drank from a bottle of water and had a perplexed look on his face. He couldn't believe what had happened.
But his withdrawal was no surprise. He also dropped out of his last race, a 9.3-mile event July 8, with back spasms.
For eight days after that, the world record-holder didn't train
and became so disconsolate that he gave up hope of competing in the
championships. Encouragement from his family and friends restored
his mental outlook, and this week he pronounced himself ready to run.
He wanted to make a statement by winning a gold medal. His dream did not materialize.
Khannouchi's wife and manager, Sandra, speculated that two things might have contributed to her husband's withdrawal.
One is that he was treated for patella tendinitis in his right knee since Tuesday, and secondly, the pace might have been too slow for him.
"He doesn't know how to run slow," his wife said. "When he
runs too slow, he gets tired."
Khannouchi set the world record of 2:05:42 at the 1999 Chicago Marathon. Khannouchi usually comes through the halfway mark in 1:03 or
1:04, rather than the 1:06 pace Friday.
U.S distance coach Kerry Sullivan said Khannouchii was in great
pain when he dropped out.
"He's got blisters everywhere," Sullivan said. "His toes are
all fried. When he was going downhill, he couldn't run. That's why
he took the shoes off."
This was the second straight major international marathon that Khannouchi was not a factor. After becoming a U.S. citizen in May 2000, he didn't compete at the U.S. Olympic trials because of injuries and couldn't represent his new country at the Sydney Games.
Among the other dropouts were Lee Bong-ju of South Korea, the
2001 Boston Marathon winner and 1996 Olympic silver medalist;
Josiah Thugwane, the 1996 Olympic champion from South Africa; and
Gert Thys, the South African record-holder.
Meanwhile, Maron Jones still doesn't know whether she'll be running in the 400 relay.
That decision will come Monday after the 100 final, U.S. women's coach J.J. Clark said Friday when asked whether Jones would be on the relay team.
Clark said athletes who attended the relay team's camp at Monte
Carlo last month would be given strong consideration for the team.
Jones did not attend because of a scheduling conflict, but Clark
did not rule her out from being a member of the relay.
"Marion is part of the meet and will be considered and she has
a possibility of running (the relay) at this meet," said Clark,
the assistant women's coach at Florida. "All decisions will be
made after the 100 meters."
Clark, the husband of team member Jearl Miles-Clark and the older brother of team member Hazel Clark, said he had not spoken with Jones since the USA Championships in June.
"We would like to think that anyone we ask in this meet would like to help," Clark said.
He said he was awaiting the results of the 100 before determining the makeup of his relay team.
"We will consider who's healthy and who's not, who's hot and
who's not," Clark said.
He added he was not upset with Jones skipping the camp session.
"We can choose from anyone on the team," Clark said.
However, he pointed out the significance of the camp.
"You have to exchange the baton," he said. "Timing is important. It will allow you to stay in the zones and complete the race."
Clark did indicate, though, that Jones could possibly run on
both the 400 and 1,600 relay teams.
"That's a feasible double," Clark said.
Jones, winner of five medals at last year's Olympics including
golds in the 100, 200 and 1,600 relay, virtually ruled out running
the 1,600 relay, saying Thursday it would stretch her too thin for
the championships. She is the two-time defending champion in the
100 and seeking her first world title in the 200.
Jones also said if she were not selected for the relays, she
would fully support the teams.
The marathon and the opening ceremonies were the only events Friday. The featured an elaborate card display involving about 22,000 spectators in refurbished Commonwealth Stadium, plus singers, dancers and a parade of athletes.
In attendance were Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jone, the Earl
and Countess of Wessex; International Olympic Committee President
Jacques Rogge; and IAAF President Lamine Diack.
The meet gets into full swing Saturday, with competition in 18
events, including the men's shot put final, the men's 20-kilometer
walk final, and the first two rounds of the men's 100 meters.
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ALSO SEE
Men's marathon results
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