TRACK AND FIELD / WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS : Panfil Wins After Mota Comes Up Empty

Defending champion Rosa Mota of Portugal dropped out after finishing only half the race, a couple of Japanese runners dropped in from nowhere and the potentially fearsome heat and humidity were virtually no factor. Other than that, the women’s marathon at track and field’s World Championships Sunday went true to form.

Wanda Panfil of Poland, the 1991 Boston Marathon champion who might have been the favorite even had Mota been well, won after pulling away from her only remaining pursuers, Japan’s Sachiko Yamashita and Germany’s Katrin Dorre, with three quarters of a mile to go in the 26.2-mile race.

Until then, it appeared as if all three runners might enter the tunnel leading into the National Stadium at the same time and sprint to the line in a marathon finish for the ages. But Panfil, a world-ranked 10,000-meter runner, had too much speed for the others, winning by four seconds over Yamashita and 17 over Dorre.

Panfil’s time was 2 hours 29 minutes 53 seconds, which is only the 15th best time of the year. But that was respectable considering the strategic nature of the race, not uncommon for major championships. Midway through the race, 14 runners were in a pack at the front, and, with seven miles remaining, six were still in contention.

The times might have been better if the weather was perfect, but, considering normal conditions at this time of the year in Tokyo, it was as close to it as anyone could have hoped. Even when the race ended at about 9:30 a.m., the temperature had just broken 80 and the humidity was only 51%.

Only a little carried away, Maria Trujillo of La Jolla said, “The weather was nice.” She finished in 14th place, just behind Joy Smith of Sugar Land, Tex. The other U.S. entrant, Gordon Bloch of New York, dropped out after nine miles.

When it became apparent that the weather would not become the dominant theme of the morning, attention shifted to the dominant runner of recent years.

Mota won 10 of her previous 12 marathons, including the 1987 World Championships, the 1988 Summer Olympics and three European Championships. But after winning at London in April, she underwent surgery to remove an ovarian cyst and there was speculation that she might not be totally fit.

Whether that was the case or not, she began to lose contact with the group at the front at 15 miles and dropped out a short time later, ducking under the ropes and walking away disconsolately. She complained later of stomach cramps, but at least her timing was good as she quit within a few steps of the hotel that is housing the athletes.

Of the 14 women remaining at the front, Panfil and Dorre clearly were the class based on past results. Panfil’s time at Boston of 2:24.18, a personal best, is the world leader this year, while Dorre, the bronze medalist at Seoul for East Germany, won 15 of 21 previous marathons.

But even as they began to assert themselves, they could not shake two Japanese runners, Yamashita and Yuko Arimori. Neither was considered a medal contender, although Arimori was somewhat known because she finished second to Dorre at Osaka this year. Last year, Arimori had the 43rd best time in the world, while Yamashita had the 49th.

Arimori finally began to drop back in the final two miles and finished fourth, but Yamashita never lost touch with the leaders, entering the stadium 25 yards behind Panfil to an ovation from about 15,000 spectators. A third Japanese runner, Kumi Araki, finished 12th.

The Japanese men have a tradition of producing outstanding marathon runners, but their women have a reputation of failing to fulfill their potential. Although both the men and women pronounced themselves fit after altitude training this summer in Colorado, track and field officials figured this meet would be a repeat of the same old story.

Team leader Teruji Kokage said last week that Japan might have three runners who could win medals in the men’s marathon next weekend but expressed little hope for the women.

After Yamashita gave Japan its first medal ever at the World Championships by finishing second in 2:29.57, she sent a message to Kokage.

“I dedicate my medal to Japanese women,” she said.

Yamashita, 27, was a junior high school teacher until four years ago, when she suddenly quit after only three months. She apologized to her students but promised them that she would one day win a major international marathon for them.

She might still some day, but, then again, she could be chasing Panfil, 32, for awhile longer. Panfil, who lives in Mexico, was ranked second in the world last year behind Mota with victories at Nagoya, London and New York. After adding victories this year at Boston and now in Tokyo, there is little question that she has become No. 1.

“Not yet,” she said. “I’ve got to improve my times, and I’ve got to win next year at the Barcelona Olympics. Then, we’ll assess how important I am.”