Zhou　Chunxiu　becomes　Chinas　1st　world　marathon　medalist

 　Osaka,　Sept.　2　-　Zhou　Chunxiu　became　China's　first　marathon　medalist　in　major　world　championships　after　winning　the　silver　here　on　Sunday.　
　Zhou,　a　surprise　winner　in　this　year's　London　Marathon,　led　with　two　kilometers　away　but　2003　world　champion　Catherine　Ndereba　overtook　her　and　won　her　second　world　title　in　2:30:37.　
　But　a　second　place　finish　was　enough　to　make　history.　Zhou　was　the　first　Chinese　to　win　a　medal　at　Olympic　or　world　championships　marathons.　
　Zhou,　this　year's　fastest　marathoner　with　2:20:38,　clocked　2:30:50　in　Osaka's　sweltering　heat.　Japan's　Reiko　Tosa　won　the　bronze　in　2:30:55.　
　Zhou　has　been　regarded　a　favorite　since　surprising　a　strong　field　to　win　the　London　marathon　last　April.　The　28-year-old　was　fifth　in　the　last　worlds　and　was　a　distant　33rd　in　the　Athens　Olympics.　
　The　race　started　at　7　a.m.　local　time　to　avoid　the　heat　that　has　bothered　athletes　at　the　championships.　The　temperatures　reached　31　celsius　degrees　with　humidity　at　52　percent　as　the　leaders　approached　the　finish.　
　Zhou　complained　about　an　ankle　injury　and　the　weather　after　the　race.　
　"At　the　end,　the　last　two　km,　my　foot　started　to　hurt.　One　week　before　coming　to　the　championships　I　got　hurt　in　China　at　the　inner　side　of　my　right　ankle.　I　got　treatment　and　it　got　better.　But　this　is　one　of　the　reasons　why　at　the　end　I　could　not　stick　to　Catherine　Ndereba,"　she　said.　
　"The　other　reason　is　the　weather　here.　Catherine　was　very　strong　today.　It　feels　just　O.K.　to　have　the　silver　medal."　
　But　she　is　confident　that　she　can　do　better　at　next　year's　Beijing　Olympic　Games.　
　"Now,　I　will　go　back　to　China,　have　a　rest.　This　was　my　last　big　competition　for　this　year.　In　2008,　at　the　Olympic　Games,　everything　will　work　in　favor　of　me,　because　it　is　my　home　country."　
　Zhou's　silver　is　China's　third　medal　in　the　world　championships.　Liu　Xiang　won　a　gold　in　the　men's　110m　hurdles　and　Zhang　Wenxiu　took　a　bronze　in　the　women's　hammer　throw.