WORLD champion Rose Chelimo won the Asian Games women’s marathon for Bahrain in a hot and humid race in Palembang, Indonesia, yesterday.

The Kenya-born Chelimo had a big lead by the 30-kilometer mark and won in 2 hours, 34 minutes and 51 seconds.

Keiko Nogami the silver for Japan.

Chelimo represented Kenya internationally before switching to represent Bahrain ahead of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where she finished eighth.

She won the world championship title in London last year.

Japan picked up its first men’s Asian Games marathon gold medal in 32 years Saturday when Hiroto Inoue held off his Bahraini rival Elhassan Elabbassi in a sprint finish in the first final of the track and field program in Jakarta.

Meanwhile, the crew comprising South Koreans and North Koreans won the 500-meter dragon boat final yesterday at Palembang, which is co-hosting the Asian Games with Jakarta.

A Koreas crew won the bronze in the 200-meter final Saturday, and celebrated by joining together to sing a popular folk song “Arirang.”

At the medal ceremony yesterday, the “unification” flag was raised into the top position with the adopted anthem played during the medal presentations at a major multi-sports international event for the first time.

South Korean news agency Yonhap quoted Kim Kwang Chol, a North Korean coach of the traditional canoe team, as saying he “felt the strength of a unified nation when we came together, dedicated our minds to a single purpose, and paddled the boat forward.”

Rather than being added to the tally of either nation, the gold was awarded to Korea — the name given to the combined teams that are entered in rowing, canoeing and women’s basketball.

(SD-Agencies)