Eliud Kipchoge has recently underlined his credentials as the undisputed king of the marathon with a totally dominant run to retain the Olympic title in the men’s marathon on Sunday, August 8th, 2021 in the Olympic Games of Tokyo 2020.
The 36-year-old world record holder, clocked 2:08:38 to win gold, setting him off as the third man to win consecutive marathon titles, his 13th win out of 15 marathons since 2013. This came a day after teammate Peres Jepchirchir secured back-to-back women’s Olympic marathon titles for Kenya’s women.
“I think I have fulfilled the legacy by winning the marathon for the second time, back-to-back. I hope now to help inspire the next generation. It means a lot for me, especially at this time”. Kipchoge said.
See also: Anthony Joshua…The Knockout Artist
The race saw 105 runners representing 45 countries, with many high-profile runners and the Olympic Refugee Team set off from the Odori Park in the heart of Sapporo before Kipchoge emerged first with his winning margin of 1:20, the biggest since Frank Shorter’s win in the 1972 Munich Games. Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands claimed silver in 2:09:58, just ahead of Belgium’s Bashir Abdi in bronze.
The African Giant Kipchoge, who won bronze in Athens in 2004 and silver in Beijing 2008 in the 5000m, already has a full set of medals thanks to his marathon gold in Rio. Meanwhile, his latest win means Kenya’s fifth medal in the men’s Olympic marathon since the Games in Beijing in 2008. Kipchoge’s win marks an incredible achievement for Kenya, which has now won more Olympic marathon medals than any other nation in the world.
It is also a testament to Kipchoge’s longevity and dedication to the sport; at 34, he is the oldest Olympic marathon champion in history. Kipchoge’s victory is a truly momentous achievement, not only for himself and for Kenya, but for the sport of marathon running as a whole.
Africa Giant is shedding light on the remarkable achievements of Kipchoge and many Africans by removing the mask shadowing the unknown talents and achievements of these individuals in Science and Technology, Sports, Film, Music, Innovation, Art & Culture.
