Athletics: Boldon 'likely' to miss Manchester

Ato Boldon, of Trinidad and Tobago, may bring his poor season to an early end and not travel to Manchester for the Commonwealth Games if his losing streak continues.

The athlete's father, Guy Boldon, said on Saturday that the four-times Olympic medallist was reconsidering competing in the Games after finishing in last place in the 100 metres at the Golden Gala meet in Rome on Friday.

"It is highly likely he will not defend his Commonwealth Games 100 metres title," Guy Boldon said.

In Rome, Ato Boldon ran his best time this year – 10.23sec – but still trailed behind the eight other competitors. His American training partner, Maurice Greene, won the event in 9.89sec.

Ato Boldon has been suffering from recurrent back problems and leg pain, which doctors blame on his right leg being 10mm (0.39in) shorter than his left. Yesterday he was back at his base in Los Angeles, training before the next Golden League meeting in Monaco on Friday. Based on his performance there, he will decide whether to continue the season, his father said.

Guy Boldon said his son needed rest to prepare for the 2003 World Championships and the Olympics in Greece in 2004.

Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima, of Brazil, outpaced the Kenyan favourites to win the São Paulo marathon yesterday, leading a Brazilian double in the men's and women's races.

Cordeiro de Lima finished in 2hr 11min 19sec – a new course record – before falling to his knees and burying his face in Brazil's national flag. His victory broke a string of wins for Kenyans.

"This year was quite difficult for me. I got injured in March, but in the end happened what I had expected," De Lima said.

The Kenyan runner Elijah Korir came in second with another Kenyan finishing in fourth place, while Brazilians took the third and fifth places in the race, which was run under cloudless skies and in temperatures around 20C.

Brazilians achieved an astonishing success in the women's race, with Maria Baldaia winning in 2hr 36min 7sec, again a course record, about a minute ahead of her fellow Brazilian, Marcia Narloch.

"I'm very satisfied to have made it," Baldaia said, waving a Brazilian flag. "The climate was good and everything went well."

More than 8,000 runners took part in what was São Paulo's eighth international marathon.