TRACK AND FIELD/EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS : Mota Overcomes Heat, Stomach Pains to Win Marathon

Rosa Mota of Portugal won a record third consecutive women’s marathon, and Salvatore Antibo of Italy dominated the men’s 10,000 meters Monday at the European Track and Field Championships.

Mota, 32, the world and Olympic champion, has not lost a major marathon in five years.

She appeared close to defeat after two hours of running.

After building a two-minute margin at 12.4 miles, she was slowed by heat and stomach pains. In the next 6.2 miles, Valentina Yegorova of the Soviet Union moved within 39 seconds of the lead.

Yegorova caught the leader, but Mota stayed with her for just a few strides before taking the lead for good and winning by 30 meters.

“I started too fast and then I started perspiring heavily because of the heat and stomach pains,” Mota said. “I realized Yegorova was catching up, so I waited for her, thinking I could run better with somebody. But I soon saw she was tired and I went into the lead again.”

At the end, just five seconds separated the two runners, with Mota finishing in 2 hours 31 minutes 27 seconds.

Antibo took the lead from the outset and quickly extending it to more than 200 meters in the 10,000. He came down the homestretch blowing kisses and waving happily to the cheering crowd, winning in 27:41.27. In a sprint for second place, Are Nakkim of Norway beat Stefano Mei, the defending champion from Italy, 28:04.04 to 28:04.46.

In a major upset, Astrid Kumbernuss, 20, of East Germany, competing in her first big event, beat Olympic champion and world record-holder Natalya Lisovskaya of the Soviet Union in the women’s shotput.

Kumbernuss put the shot 66 feet 10 1/2 inches. Lisovskaya was second at 65-9 3/4.

Kathrin Neimke of East Germany finished third at 65-6.