BEIJING (AFP) — Constantina Tomescu gave Romania their first ever women's Olympic marathon title here on Sunday as she won in a time of 2hours 26minutes 44seconds.
The 38-year-old mother of one, who bettered compatriot Lidia Simon's silver medal from the 2000 Games, beat home world champion Catherine Ndereba of Kenya who took her second successive Olympic silver medal while China's Zhou Chunxiu was third.
"It was a great performance," said Tomescu, who was 20th in the 2004 Games.
"At the 2005 World Half Marathon Championships everybody said I couldn't run, but I showed today what I can do," she added.
There was more Olympic misery for Britain's world record holder Paula Radcliffe, who won the 2005 world title, as she faded to finish 23rd.
Radcliffe finished limping badly on the left leg which she suffered a stress fracture off earlier this year. She is still without an Olympic medal.
"Perhaps I pushed too hard to come and compete here," admitted the 34-year-old.
"I felt pain in my leg from the start and I was feeling shocks searing up my leg throughout the race. Then I got cramp in my calf near the finish and had to stop to stretch it. It's a real shame as if I had been fully fit I think I would have gone close."
The Briton had been to the fore early on with team-mates Liz Yelling and Mara Yamauchi up alongside.
She then received a boost to her medal hopes when at the 5km mark America's 2006 London Marathon champion Deena Kastor, one of the favourites for the title and the bronze medallist from Athens, dropped out and sat down clutching her foot.
"My foot has been sore for the past week," said Kastor. "It was tight most of the way. I felt a pop in my foot and I couldn't stand on it.
Yelling maintained setting the pace with Lesotho runner Mamorallo Tjoka keeping her company up front.
By the 10km mark Yelling along with 23-year-old Tjoka was still leading a group of around 40 runners. The tiny Lesotho athlete though was to suffer a grievous blow just after that when her right ankle went and she had to pull to the side of the road.
She managed to get going again and though clearly in some agony she regained the lead whilst Radcliffe moved up onto Yelling's shoulder.
Tjoka bravely kept the lead but just after the 15km mark she pulled up again at a watering station, feeling her ankle, before trying to rejoin the fray but finally gave up, esting her head in despair on a barrier.
Just after the 20km mark the race was split apart as Tomescu went to the front and at the halfway mark she had a four second lead.
The extra burst of acceleration and pace was too much for Japan's 2007 world bronze medallist Reiko Tosa, who dropped off the pack and the 32-year-old, who was fifth in Athens, looked to be in some distress.
Radcliffe having looked in some trouble rediscovered her poise and led the chasing pack of around 15 which included the doughty Yamauchi trying to hunt down Tomescu.
However, the Romanian had extended her lead to 34 seconds at the 25km mark and showed little sign of weakening.
Radcliffe's dreams of a medal came to an end after the 30km mark as a burst of pace by the chasing pack saw her dropped.
With just under 10km to go she was 13 seconds off them while Tomescu had built up a lead of 48sec over the eight runner pack which included 2004 silver medallist Catherine Ndereba and Yamauchi.
Radcliffe looked in some pain as she carried on with her features in a permanent grimace.
With barely four kilometres to go she had to pull up crying out in agony - feeling her left hip - and go to a barrier and stretch the leg.
There were no such problems for Tomescu as she sauntered home to take gold.
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