Kenya’s Sumsong wins gold in Olympic women’s marathon

Kenya’s Jemina Jelagat Sumsong won the gold medal Sunday in the Olympic women’s marathon with a time of 2:24:04, giving the East African country its first gold medal in the event.

Bahrain’s Eunice Kirwa, who was born in Kenya, took the silver and Ethiopia’s Mare Dibaba won the bronze.

The 31yearold Sumsong, who won the 2016 London Marathon, finished nine seconds ahead of Kirwa, who lost her first race of the year.

Dibaba, whose goal was to tie Portugal’s Rosa Mota by simultaneously holding both the world and Olympic titles, dropped back in the last two kilometers and finished 26 seconds behind the winner.

African runners have now won two straight Olympic women’s marathons after the title was held by runners from Asia and Europe.

Japan’s Mizuki Noguchi won the gold at the 2004 Athens Games and Romania’s Constantina TomescuDita won the Olympic women’s marathon at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Ethiopia’s Tika Gelana won the gold medal in London four years ago.

The 157 runners competing in the marathon had to contend with high temperatures and 83 percent humidity, with the sun beating down on them over most of the course.

The race featured an Olympic first with Estonian triplets Leila, Liina and Lily Luik, who are 30, qualifying and competing.