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SAPPORO. — Eliud Kipchoge says he has “fulfilled” his legacy after the Kenyan became the first athlete since 1980 to retain an Olympic marathon title at Tokyo 2020 yesterday.
Kipchoge, only the third person to win successive Olympic marathons, finished in two hours eight minutes 38 seconds.
Regarded as the greatest marathon runner of all time, the 36-year-old crossed the line one minute 20 seconds ahead of the Netherlands’ Abdi Nageeye.
In the race for bronze, Belgian Bashir Abdi edged out Kenyan Lawrence Cherono.
“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,” world record holder Kipchoge said.
“Tokyo 2020 has happened, it means a lot. It means there is hope. It means we are on the right track to a normal life,” he said. “We are on the track to our normal lives, that is the meaning of the Olympics.
“I am happy to defend my title and to show the next generation, if you respect the sport and be disciplined you can accomplish your assignment.”
It is a fourth Olympic medal for Kipchoge, who famously recorded the first sub two hour marathon in 2019.
Kipchoge just decided it was time to sprint away. Simple as that. He never really even looked back.
Except near the finish, simply to see if anyone was there. Of course, no one was even close.
Kipchoge pulled away late and pretty much went for a stroll in the park — Odori Park — as the 36-year-old Kenyan defended his Olympic marathon title yesterday.
Immediately after his finish, he held up two fingers to acknowledge his back-to-back marathon titles.
Clearly, though, he’s No. 1.
“King,” one of his fellow racers said as he walked by.
Kipchoge finished in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 38 seconds on a breezy and humid day along the streets of Sapporo. It was 80 seconds ahead of runner-up Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands. Bashir Abdi of Belgium earned bronze to close out the track and field portion of the Tokyo Games.
This was a running clinic put on by Kipchoge, who even fist-bumped a fellow racer. Kipchoge becomes the third athlete to win multiple gold medals in the men’s marathon, joining Abebe Bikila (1960, 1964) and Waldemar Cierpinski (1976, 1980).
About his reaction before making his move: “That smile is the happiness,” Kipchoge said. “They say to enjoy this world is to be happy.”
About that late surge: “I wanted to test my fitness. I wanted to test how I’m feeling. I was feeling right.”
About his legacy: “I want to be the inspiration for the next generation.”
On a day with plenty of cloud cover, Kipchoge simply cruised. The temperature was around 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius) at the start and climbing to 84 degrees (29 degrees). The men’s race stayed at the same time after the women’s race was moved up an hour the day before to avoid the heat.
It was humid, though, at around 81% as the runners wound their way through Sapporo, which is located about 830 kilometres north of Tokyo. The race was moved to escape the extreme heat, but it was about the same temperature in Tokyo — and rainy.
Taking the starting line were 106 runners. Finishing were far less, with 30 not making it to the end. The top American was Galen Rupp in eighth place.
“It was a little rough out there,” Rupp said. “My body shut down a little bit. I’m proud of the way I competed. Still tried to hold it together. Everything is telling you to stop. Just the way it goes sometimes.”
The real race was for the other medals. Nageeye, feeling strong and looking solid for silver, spent time urging his training partner, Abdi, through the latter part of the course and into bronze.
“I wait for him to get close and see he was next to me and then I sprinted and he was able to follow me,” explained Nageeye, who’s also trained with Kipchoge. “It’s amazing we can share this moment. It’s crazy.”
Along the way, runners were treated to actual fans clapping and cheering. One fan even brought drums, making the atmosphere feel almost normal. Spectators haven’t been allowed in the venues during the Tokyo Olympics because of coronavirus protocols.
— AFP
Online Reporter