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Earned second marathon gold for Ethiopia in Eugene: Gotytom Gebreslase
Photo: MIKE SEGAR/ REUTERS
Gotytom Gebreslase won the gold medal in the marathon and set a new World Championship record with her time of 2:18.11 hours.
The 27-year-old of Ethiopia was nine seconds faster on Monday than Judith Jeptum Korir of Kenya, who had been leading for much of the race but was unable to follow an attack with just under two kilometers to go to take silver.
Lonah Chemtai Salpeter from Israel took bronze and with her time of 2:20.18 hours in Eugene also stayed below the old world championship record of 2:20.57 hours set by Britain's Paula Radcliffe in Helsinki in 2005.
It is Ethiopia's second marathon gold after Tamirat Tola, who also set a new championship record in the men's race the day before.
"Tola's victory yesterday gave me a lot of motivation today," said Gebreslase at the finish, who had planned her race well.
"The Kenyan runner asked me to overtake her," says Gebreslase.
'But I stayed patient.
At 40km I felt strong and decided to break away.«
Defending champion and favorite Ruth Chepgngetich from Kenya dropped out after about half the distance.
A German runner was not at the start.
Gebreslase won the marathon in Berlin last year.
cev/dpa/rtr