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Olympic Special
Noguchi pulls out
Ap, Beijing
Reigning Olympic champion Mizuki Noguchi has pulled out of Sunday's Olympic marathon because of a lingering left thigh injury.The Japanese delegation announced her withdrawal on Tuesday.Noguchi, the 2003 world championship silver medalist, had hoped to become the first woman to repeat as Olympic marathon champion.The 4-foot-11, 88-pound runner had been bothered by the injury for some time and underwent a series of tests in Japan after returning from her training in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Noguchi, who turned 30 last month, pulled out of last year's world championships because she doesn't like running in the heat.However, she survived sweltering conditions in the mid-90s to win the event in the Athens Olympics, beating favored Catherine Ndereba of Kenya by 12 seconds.Britain's Paula Radcliffe, the world record-holder, was a major disappointment in that race, collapsing because of dehydration after leading much of the race. Radcliffe, 34, told the BBC on Tuesday that she would race in the marathon in Beijing. She too has been bothered by a thigh injury.“Of course, I could do with a bit more time,” Radcliffe said, “but I'll just go in and give it a go.”
One of several CNG filling stations between Kanchpur Bridge and Jatrabari of the capital which BNP big shots built on the Kutubkhali canal, drastically reducing Dhaka's drainage capability. PHOTO: STAR
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