That’s the most first-timers since 16 nations got their inaugural feel of Olympic gold at the Atlanta Games in 1996.
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A wet and rainy morning in Rio de Janeiro provided the flawless conditions for a strong running Eliud Kipchoge to bag Kenya’s final medal as the 2016 Olympic Games came to an end on Sunday.
Ethiopia’s Feyisa Lilesa finished in second in 2:09.54, then spoke poignantly about the struggles of his tribe being brutalized by government security forces.
Galen Rupp, silver medallist in 10,000m in London, had also taken part in the 10,000m race in Rio earlier in the week, where he placed fifth: “I was emotionally drained after the 10K, but I got it out of the system and chose to have an attacking race”. Keflezighi was 33rd on Sunday.
RIO DE JANEIRO – With the mens’ basketball team’s 96-66 win over Serbia, the Americans capped an Olympics in which the US dominated the medal tables, both the gold (46) and overall totals (121).
Just after the halfway mark a foot injury that had been plaguing Tewelde in the run-up to the Games proved too much and the 26-year-old was forced to drop out.
Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya sloshed his way to the gold medal in the men’s Olympic marathon as Rio de Janeiro began its grand goodbye to the 2016 Games in clammy conditions that did nothing to dampen Brazil’s frenzied mood. “Everyone wants a medal, but I was coming here for gold”. I have never felt like this before.
Kipchoge, considered the race favorite after a near-world record win at April’s London Marathon, pulled away from both Rupp and silver medalist Feyisa Lilesa of Ethiopia around the 21-mile mark. “At the end, I was definitely hurtin'”.
Meanwhile, silver medallist Lilesa protested the brutal police crackdowns in Ethiopia of the Oromo people by crossing his arms above his head when he crossed the finish line and later at a press conference.
I couldn’t get close until I hit on the idea of running down a gentle grassy slope and, with a helpful tail wind, eventually hit the magic pace … for about 50 metres at least. “There was somebody, Tanzania I believe, that said, ‘My country did not send me here to not finish.’ I cried through the race”. “My calves were really starting to lock up”.
The 30-year-old Rupp thus became the first American to earn a medal in this event since 2004 and only the third to win a medal (Frank Shorter took gold in 1972 and silver in 1976) since 1924.
The eight-time US champion, Rupp admitted he was devastated when he didn’t make it onto the podium in the 10,000 back on August 13 and needed a few days to get over the loss.
Speaking about Kipchoge, Rupp said, “He’s the best right now”. After a couple days, at some point you’ve got to just turn the page and look forward.
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In 2012 at the Olympic Trials in Eugene, it was the 5000 Meter Final that had a more than epic finish with Galen Rupp battling Bernard Legat to the finish line.
