(Sapporo) In the middle of the interview, Malindi Elmore felt bad.
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“I’m dizzy, excuse me… Does anyone have sugar?” ”
As Japanese volunteers ran in all directions for some form of glucose, Canada’s top marathoner sat on the floor.
“We can do this again, you know …
– No, no, I will continue sitting. “
This is how the 41-year-old runner continued to chatter as if nothing had happened, sitting on the asphalt of the “mixed zone” where the marathon runners pass, several limping, crying, wheeling in a chair. She had every reason to go and recover further to get out of the Sapporo urban oven. But no, she’s like that: she endures.
His ninth place in a very tough race is one of the few top 10 Canadians in the Olympic Marathon (Jerome Drayton was 6e in Montreal, Sylvie Ruegger 9e at the first women’s marathon, in Los Angeles in 1984).
It is above all an unexpected second Olympic life for this woman from Kelowna… 17 years after the Athens Games. She was running the 1500m and was eliminated in the preliminary round. A career in the form of long-distance running.
“I am in a totally different place in my life. In 2004, I was in university, I was racing the world for athletics competitions… Seventeen years is a long time. I had two children, my husband is my trainer.
“I had given up all aspirations to return to the Games, I had retired,” said the one her mother wanted to name after a Kenyan village she had visited at age 22 on a trip to France. back.
Oh, Malindi had done two Ironmans (in less than nine hours), but that doesn’t count …
In 2019, due to lack of time to train with her second child who was only 6 months old, she decided to do a marathon. A simple matter of bucket list, like others want to see the Taj Mahal. Oh … 2 h 32 min … It was fast, and too close to the Olympic standard (2 h 29 min 30 s) not to try.
In her second marathon, she broke the Canadian record with a time of 2 h 24 min 50 s.
“For me, it was still hilarious just thinking about the Olympics. I had no idea this was an event for me. ”
Friday in Sapporo was his third. And with this result, we no longer laugh. It won’t be his last. After all, the 10e, the Australian Sinead Diver, is 44 years old. The 11e, Namibian Helalia Johannes, 40.
Elmore raced at the start with his compatriot Natasha Wodak. She was in the leading peloton, where were the three Kenyans, including the world record holder and others who regularly run under 2 h 20 min.
“I saw that they accelerated, I decided to be smart and patient. Patience is strength. ”
She won positions until the end, as her competitors weakened.
“I was hoping to catch up with the peloton, but in the end, just holding on took all of my energy.
“With 7 km to go, I felt great, I heard that I was close to the 10e and all of a sudden woooh it hit me i thought i should stop i almost threw up i took some gel water and i just tried to stay in the moment, I knew everyone was in pain. I am so proud. A ninth place (2 h 20 min 59 s) is the icing on the cake. I achieved my goals, and I have to say that in my case, it didn’t happen often. ”
“For me, it’s not the icing, it’s the cake on the cake! », Added Natasha Wodak, exuberant after her 13th birthday.e unexpected place (2 h 31 min 41 s). 10,000m (32e in Rio) spent in the marathon, she did not hope so much. “It doesn’t even compare to 2016, I came here full of gratitude, in the shape of my life at 39. Now is the time to party! ”
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The classic story of Olympic journalism is that of the last place in the marathon, which is the person who “endured” the most.
Fate wanted it to be the third Canadian, Dayna Pidhoresky, who finished at the back of the race, 73e, in 3 h 3 min. Behind her, the 15 having given up.
“I finished, I wanted to run until I collapsed. My husband said to me, “Keep going until you can’t take it anymore.” I was hoping to collapse to stop, but it didn’t happen! She laughs.
How does it feel to finish last?
A month ago that would have put me off, but with everything that has happened to me, I’m really proud.
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Dayna Pidhoresky
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All that happened to her was an unhealed stress fracture in her shin that kept her from finishing her training well; it’s also four days of isolation in his hotel for having a COVID positive neighbor.
When we arrive last, there are also fewer people left, buses have left …
“Just to be in an environment of international competition, you learn. ”
Among other things, she has learned that she can endure suffering much longer than she thought.
“Usually it starts to hurt at 30e kilometer of the marathon… Today was at 15e. »
There should also be flowers for the last one, I think.
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As expected, the Kenyans led the game from start to finish. Peres Jepchirchir topped the world record writer Brigid Kosgei, who ran alongside her the entire way. The plan, they said, was to grab the entire podium, but the third broke before the end.
Kenya, with its incredible depth of talent, is the country with the most Olympic medals in the marathon.
PHOTO GIUSEPPE CACACE, FRANCE-PRESS AGENCY
American Molly Seidel (left) is congratulated by Canadians Natasha Wodak and Malindi Elmore after the race.
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Surprisingly enough, however, American Molly Seidel, whose very qualifying had astonished last year, won bronze.
“You just don’t have to think too much that you’re running with the best in the world,” she said. I was amazed, but I knew if I had a good day I could do a top 5. »
We didn’t know.
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