OLYMPICS: Kiprotich blames poor finish on weather

PIC: Kiprotich crosses the finish line in 14th. (Credit: Norman Katende)

Marathon results

1 Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2:08:44

2 Feyisa Lilesa (ETH) 2:09:54

3 Gallen Rupp (USA) 2:10:05

8 Solomon Mutai (UGA) 2:11:49

14 Stephen Kiprotich (UGA) 2:13:32

80 Jackson Kiprop (UGA) 2:22:09

Uganda's hopes of a medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games evaporated at the men's marathon, as the defending champion Stephen Kiprotich finished 14^th.

Uganda had hoped that their luck on the last day of the London games would be repeated but the hostile weather forced Kiprotich to finish a distant 14^th with Solomon Mutai the best placed Ugandan in 8^th while Jackson Kiprop finished 80^th.

"I had a stitch as early as 7km. The weather was too rainy and cold and I could not just keep up. It was too tricky. I fought on but that is the best I could do. Every day is not the same," said Kiprotich after the race.

"I had come to defend my title but there are incidents when you give in and today after 20km, I felt that I could not push harder or I won't finish," he said of the race had top athletes including Kenya's Stanley Biwott and Wesley Korir and Ethiopia's Tesfaye Abera  among the 15 that failed to finish.

Mutai, a bronze medallist at last year's World Championships said he trained hard for the event but was also affected by the weather.

"You cannot run in the rain. The muscles just cramped up as I pushed further," he said.

Jackson Kiprop, who came in 80^th, could not speak as he had been selected to undergo a doping test.

The failure of the marathoners to win a medal means that Uganda has not won a medal at the games this time around.

Uganda was represented in three disciplines of boxing, swimming and athletics, with athletes reaching the finals of a number of events.

Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge, who has dominated the marathon this season, raced to victory, followed by Ethiopia's Feyisa Lilesa and USA's Gallen Rupp, all former top runners in the 10000m event.