Gold medalist Amane Beriso Shankule (C) of Ethiopia poses with silver medalist Gotytom Gebreslase (L) of Ethiopia and bronze medalist Fatima Ezzahra Gardadi of Morocco after the women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)
BUDAPEST, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopians took the top two positions in the women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships as Amane Beriso Shankule clinched the title in her season best of 2:24:23.
Under the baking sun in Budapest, three Ethiopian athletes pushed themselves forward from the leading group of six runners after 34km, and the 31-year-old Shankule crossed the finish line first.
Shankule never won a world marathon major before and had no record of attending athletics worlds. But with a personal best of 2:14:58 achieved last year, she managed to run in front of anyone else with 5km to go, beating defending champion and 2021 Berlin marathon winner Gotytom Gebreslase to second place with a margin of 11 seconds.
Moroccan Fatima Ezzahra Gardadi finished third in 2:25:17 while last year's London marathon champion Yalemzerf Yehualaw of Ethiopia was fifth in 2:26:13.
"We are a group of top athletes working individually most of the time. But before the championships we came together with a women's team coach to prepare for the race," said Shankule, who revealed that the four Ethiopian runners had a plan to break away from the pack and they were aiming at a sweep of all the three medals.
More than 10 athletes failed to finish the race under the extremely hot weather. China's Li Zhixuan, who finished 32nd, admitted that she was worried that she might faint.
However, the weather didn't bother the Ethiopian team. "We expected the conditions to be tough and we prepared well for it. I know it is very hot but for me it was not so difficult. I wish we had started a bit earlier so we could have run a faster time," said Shankule. ■
Athletes run on the Chain Bridge during the women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)
Athletes run on the Chain Bridge during the women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)
Bronze medalist Morocco's Fatima Ezzahra Gardadi reacts after the women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)
Bronze medalist Morocco's Fatima Ezzahra Gardadi reacts after the women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)
Athletes run on the Chain Bridge during the women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)
China's Li Zhixuan competes in the women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)
Gold medalist Amane Beriso Shankule (C) of Ethiopia crosses the finish line which is held by World Athletics president Sebastian Coe (L) during the women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)
Silver medalist Gotytom Gebreslase of Ethiopia reacts after the women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)
China's Zhang Deshun runs past Hungarian State Opera House during the women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)
China's Li Zhixuan runs on the Chain Bridge during the women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)
Gold medalist Amane Beriso Shankule (C) of Ethiopia poses with silver medalist Gotytom Gebreslase (L) of Ethiopia and bronze medalist Fatima Ezzahra Gardadi of Morocco after the women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)
Runners compete in the women's marathon race at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Aug. 26, 2023. (Photo by Robert Ghement/Pool/handout via Xinhua)
