Commonwealth Games: David Weir punctures as Johnboy Smith wins men's T53/54 wheelchair marathon
- Published
Commonwealth Games 2022: Smith takes gold after Weir's puncture
2022 Commonwealth Games |
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Hosts: Birmingham Dates: 28 July to 8 August |
Coverage: Watch live on 大象传媒 TV with extra streams on 大象传媒 iPlayer, Red Button, 大象传媒 Sport website and 大象传媒 Sport mobile app; Listen on 大象传媒 Radio 5 Live and Sports Extra; live text and clips online. |
Winner Johnboy Smith said English team-mate David Weir "deserved gold" in the men's T53/54 wheelchair marathon race at the Commonwealth Games.
Weir, an eight-time London Marathon winner, led by more than 90 seconds with six miles remaining and looked set for a first Commonwealth marathon medal, when he suffered a puncture.
"The better man didn't win, I take my hat off to Dave," said Smith.
"Your majesty the Queen, give David a knighthood; that man deserves it."
Weir, who has won six Paralympic gold medals and six world titles, kept pushing to the finish and crossed the line in seventh, almost 25 minutes after Smith.
"It's bittersweet for me. Dave got a flat, he had me. By mile six he dropped me," Smith told 大象传媒 Sport.
"He deserves gold, I should have got silver, but these things happen."
Weir, 43, won the 1,500m gold in 2014, his only Commonwealth Games medal.
"I have never brought a spare [wheel], in a race, ever, in my life," Weir told 大象传媒 Sport.
"I had a lot of confidence coming in here, I thought if I take a spare I am going to jinx myself.
"If I didn't have my mates in the last 4km running beside me I probably would have stopped. I probably would have just pulled over and given up."
Scotland's Sean Frame beat England's Simon Lawson in the race for silver.
Australia's Madison de Rozario defended her title in the women's T53/54 wheelchair race.
England's Eden Rainbow-Cooper took silver, almost four minutes behind, with Commonwealth Games rules stating only the top two finishers receiving medals after just four competitors started.
In the men's race, Uganda's Victor Kiplangat claimed gold in two hours, 10 minutes and 55 seconds, despite briefly going the wrong way in the closing stages.
Watch Kiplangat take wrong turn in Commonwealth Games marathon win
The 22-year-old was forced to double back after missing a turn but still won by 94 seconds from Alphonce Simbu of Tanzania, with Michael Githae of Kenya in third.
Australia's Jessica Stenson, who won bronze in 2014 and 2018, raced clear in the closing couple of miles of the women's race, to take the gold medal by 24 seconds from Kenya's Margaret Muriuki. Defending champion Namibia's Helalia Johannes finished third.