FOR two years since the Olympic Games in Athens, the marathon has been a sore subject in Brazil. Vanderlei de Lima, a little-known Brazilian, was leading the men’s race by more than 100 metres in the 23rd mile when he was attacked by a publicity seeker in an act of interference that may have cost him the gold medal. Shocked and unsettled, he ended up third.
How long the last eight miles must have seemed for Brazilians watching the New York City Marathon yesterday. Agonisingly long but not as drawn out as they probably felt for Marilson Gomes dos Santos. Having broken clear of a field that included Paul Tergat, the world record-holder, he looked vulnerable. However, Dos Santos, a rank outsider and without a