Uganda's Kiprotich wins gold in marathon

Britons sang and dance to bid adieu to the 30th Olympiad in a spectacular closing ceremony at the Olympic Stadium in London yesterday. The long night also marked the end of a 17-day spectacle full of drama, suspense, excitement and above all human endeavour of reaching new heights and with a pledge to renew these in Rio de Janeiro come 2016. For records the United States won highest 104 medals in London 2012, China followed them with 87 and the hosts surged to third with a haul of 65.Photo: AFP

Uganda's Stephen Kiprotich stunned a strong Kenyan team to win the men's Olympic marathon on Sunday, handing his east African nation only their second ever gold medal.
Kiprotich timed 2hr 08min 01sec on the spectacular course around the streets of central London, with two-time defending world champion Abel Kirui claiming silver in 2:08.27.
Another Kenyan, long-time leader Wilson Kipsang, took bronze in 2:09.37.
"I am very happy to win a medal for my country. I love my people. Uganda are very happy because we haven't won a medal," said Kiprotich.
"The pace was too fast and I knew I could not run away from them so I just had to keep up with them (Kipsang and kirui).
"I tried to settle and then I had to break away because I wanted to win this medal."
It was Uganda's second ever gold medal after John Akii-Bua won the 400m hurdles in the 1972 Games in Munich, with the east African country's only other medal a bronze from 400m runner Davis Kamonga in 1996.