Thugwane recovers from shooting to win gold
Josia Thugwane made a remarkable recovery after being shot in a car hijacking to win the men's marathon and become the first black South African Olympic champion and the first African men's marathon winner since 1968.
Thugwane, a security guard at a mineworkers' hostel, clocked two hours 12 minutes 36 seconds--just three seconds ahead of South Korean Lee Bong-ju and eight ahead of Eric Wainaina of Kenya. It was the closest finish in Olympic men's marathon history.
The three shared in a breakaway over the last 10 kilometers of the 42.195-kilometer race through the suburbs of Atlanta. But Thugwane knew he was lucky to be part of it at all.
His car was hijacked in March and Thugwane still bears the scar of a gunshot wound on his chin.
"Three or four men got in my car and made me drive away," he said. "They told me to hand over the keys but I refused and there was a bit of a scuffle.
"They produced a gun and there was shooting. I jumped out of the car while it was still moving and that's how it ended."
Fortunately for Thugwane, the bullet that hit him did little more than graze his chin. More serious was the back injury he suffered when he jumped from the car. He needed medical treatment for several weeks before regaining fitness.
The South African, who won the Honolulu marathon last year and the Cape Town marathon to become South African champion in March just before the shooting incident, came to the United States to train at altitude near Albuquerque.
"Training there helped me a lot," he said. "At home I train on Table Mountain. My training was very good and I knew if someone broke away I would be able to stay with them."
Although weather conditions were cooler than predicted, the pack stayed bunched and fairly slow until Thugwane pushed out on his own after 30 kilometers. He was soon followed by Lee and Wainaina and the three opened up a big gap on the rest to fight among themselves for the medals.
The South African, first runner from his continent to win the marathon since Mamo Wolde of Ethiopia in 1968, had the most left of the three and surged in front just outside the Olympic stadium.
The winning margin was the narrowest ever, the previous closest race taking place in 1920 when Hannes Kolehmainen of Finland beat Estonian Juri Lossmann by 13 seconds.
Favorite Martin Fiz of Spain, reigning world and Olympic champion, came fourth and also finished within a minute of the winner.
Thugwane said he was overjoyed to win gold for his country and for its president Nelson Mandela. "Our problems are over in our country," he said. "We are back in the international fold and there to be counted as part of the world community.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to run. All of us have equal opportunities now, unlike in the past."
Thugwane, who said he gave up soccer for running because he realized he could never make the top grade in South Africa, has a wife and four daughters.
They live 42 kilometers--a marathon distance--away from the hostel where he works but he sees them every day.
Does he run? "No, I have a car and I drive," he laughed.
This story written by Reuters
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