Athletics-Stunned Paternain secures Uruguay's first world championship medal

World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025 - Women's Marathon Final - Japan National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan - September 14, 2025 Bronze medallist Uruguay's Julia Paternain poses with her medal after finishing third in the Women's Marathon Final REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier

TOKYO (Reuters) -Julia Paternain reacted in complete disbelief when she crossed the line third in the women's marathon on Sunday to win Uruguay's first world championship medal.

The gruelling nature of marathon running, especially in the sort of suffocating heat that shrouded Tokyo on Sunday, means confusion for athletes at the finish is by no means unusual.