Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya is optimistic that he will win the Olympic marathon in Paris this year for the record third time in a row. His confidence came from his career triumphs– ranked 10th in the Tokyo Marathon this year in March, won at the postponed Tokyo Games in 2021, and at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Kipchoge declared: “My huge expectation is to win the Olympics for the third time.”
The only other men to win and defend an Olympic marathon title are Waldemar Cierpinski (1980) of East Germany and Abebe Bikila (1964) of Ethiopia.
Kipchoge and the Olympics
He explained: “In Kenya, we say you don’t chase two rabbits at a time, you will miss all of them. You chase one…So the rabbit of the Olympic Games is what I’m chasing now. After that I go back to the drawing board, see what’s on my bucket list and start again to chase the next.”
When persistently asked about his retirement, Kipchoge just reaffirms his commitment to encouraging individuals from all levels of life to be active.
“If you can convince me that the moment I will be crossing the finishing line the whole world has become a running world then I will retire,” he said.
The head of World Athletics, Lord Coe, has declared that all gold medallists in athletics in Paris will receive reward money totaling $50,000 (£40,100). In the long run, Kipchoge thinks the development will help the sport, but he assures that he does not run for the money itself.
“I don’t run because of money but I run because I want to perform… It was a great idea for Seb Coe and World Athletics. For the young generations I think it’s a good idea to develop – it makes sport more interesting,” the 39 year old said.
Cover Photo: IG
Source: BCC
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