Olga Kaniskina of Russia claimed the title of women's 20-kilometer walk race at the Beijing Olympics in teeming rain on Thursday morning.

Kaniskina, led an amazing fast race that saw the first 12 finishers clock an Olympic record, finished the course in one hour, 26 minutes and 31 seconds, two minutes 29 seconds faster than the former Olympic record set by Chinese Wang Liping in Sydney in 2000.

Sydney Olympic silver medalist Kjersti Tysse Platzer of Norway finished 36 seconds behind Kaniskina to take the silver medal while Elisa Rigaudo of Italy won the bronze in 1:27.12.

2007 world champion Kaniskina took the lead before leaving the Bird's Nest at the start of the race and dominated the whole course until finished it in an Olympic record.

(Xinhua News Agency August 21, 2008)

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