[Archive 2012-09-10] Athletics concludes at London Paralympics with the marathon

Historical archive — originally published 2012-09-10. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

London, England — Yesterday, on the final day of competition, athletics concluded at the London Paralympics with the running and wheeling of the marathon for the men's T12, T46 and T54, and the women's T54. Spain and Great Britain both had a gold and a silver medal, Brazil and the United States had a gold each, Switzerland had a silver and a bronze medal, Colombia had a silver medal, and Tunisia, Australia and Belarus each had a bronze medal.

Alberto Suarez Laso of Spain set a world and European record in the T12 marathon with a time of 2:24:50. In the same event, Tunisian Abderrahim Zhiou set an African record with a time of 2:26:56 and Colomobian Elkin Alonso Serna Moreno set an Americas record with a time of 2:26:39. Despite failing to get a medal, Japanese Masahiro Okamura set an Asian record with a time of 2:28:51. In the women's T54 event, Australian Christie Dawes set an Oceania record with a time of 1:49:37.

Colombia's German Naranjo Jaramillo served as Elkin Alonso Serena Morena's guide for the length of the marathon. Because of this, Jaramillo also earned a silver medal. Gold medalist Laso of Spain and bronze medalist Zhiou of Tunisia utilized multiple guides, and the guides were not eligible for medals. Other runners in the men's T12 marathon who had the same guide the whole race included ninth place Ildar Pomykalov of Russia who was guided by Aleksei Lashmanov, and Henry Wanyoike of Kenya who did not finish but was guided by Joseph Gachuhi.

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