SCOOP Olympic Update, Sunday, 24 Sept, 2000

SCOOP Olympic Update, Sunday, 24 Sept, 2000
Article: Mathew Loh

IN the greatest women's marathon in Olympic history Japan's Naoko Takahasi revealed incredible endurane to shatter the games record to win gold with the 14th ever fastest time of 2hrs 23 mins 14 secs.

Making the race even more exceptional was the fact that Romanian runner Lidia Simon managed to finish only 40 metres behind Takahasi to take silver in another record-breaking time. Joyce Chepchuma also ran an superb race to remarkably win Kenya's first ever women's marathon medal.

But the hero of the morning was without doubt the diminutive Japanese runner, Takahasi.

Olympic marathon courses are traditionally far tougher than both the famous and the typical courses and Sydney's course was no different. Fast times are just run in Olympic marathons.

Takahasi must never have heard that theory as she it banished it forever with a phenomenal performances which had veteran commentator Brendan Telfer and NZ IOC president and Olympic medalist John Davies almost speechless with wonder after using almost every superlative in the English vocabulary to describe her fantastic gold medal run.

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