Athletics: Mutola defends 800 title in style

MANCHESTER - Mozambique's Maria Mutola defended her women's 800m title with a runaway victory at the Commonwealth Games on Monday.

The reigning Olympic and world champion powered away from the rest of the field on the home straight to win in one minute 57.35 seconds.

Canada's Diane Cummins took the silver in 1min 58.82sec and Namibia's Agnes Samaria clinched the bronze in 1:59.15 as the first seven finishers all broke two minutes.

Mutola was content to sit back in third position through the first lap but made her move entering the final bend and was well clear once they entered the home straight, stretching further in front as she kicked for the line.

South Africa's Mbulaeni Mulaudzi showed a strong finish to win the men's 800 final.

The 21-year-old charged to the front rounding the final bend and surged clear to win in 1:46.32. Kenya's Joseph Mutua made a late charge down the outside but could not catch the South African and had to settle for the silver in 1:46.57.

Australia's Kris McCarthy finished strongly to grab the bronze in 1:46.79.

Kenya's defending champion Japheth Kimutai led the field through the first lap in 52.69 seconds but faded to fifth after Mulaudzi applied the pressure and powered past him.

It was the first time since Englishman Steve Cram's victory in 1986 in Edinburgh that a Kenyan had not won the event at the Commonwealth Games. The 1986 Games were hit by a boycott.

It was also the first time a South African had won the event although Hezekiel Sepeng was second in 1994 and 1998. He would have started favourite in Manchester but was withdrawn from the team after failing to turn up in time.

1 Maria Mutola (Moz) 1:57.35 (GR), 2 Diane Cummins (Can) 1:58.82, 3 Agnes Samaria (Nam) 1:59.15, 4 Susan Scott (Sco) 1:59.30, 5 Tamsyn Lewis (Aus) 1:59.73, 6 Charlotte Moore (Eng) 1:59.75, 7 Jo Fenn (Eng) 1:59.86, 8 Michelle Ballentine (Jam) 2:03.75

- REUTERS


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