Eliud Kipchoge Vows To Respect Kelvin Kiptum’s Death by Defending His Title in the Paris Olympics 2024

For athletes around the world, the Olympic Games are the biggest stage that promises unbound glory. While setting new records is something every sportsperson aspires for, sometimes some added reasons help them to get into the winning mentality in better ways. For Kenyan long-distance runner Eliud Kipchoge, this year’s Olympics aren’t just about bolstering his reputation as one of the world’s best Marathon runners.

Only days ago, the sprinting community was shaken by the news of 24-year-old Kevin Kiptum’s untimely demise because of a horror road accident. With athletes taking a moment to raise their glasses to the departed, Kipchoge believes the upcoming Olympics will be the perfect place to honor his late colleague in the best fashion.

Eliud Kipchoge’s firm resolution for the Olympics

In his latest post on X, Eliud shared his determination to honor Kiptum at the French capital later this year. Kipchoge is widely considered as one of the greatest Marathoners of all time, with five of the ten fastest marathons in history, and he’s fixated on retaining his best form for his recently fallen comrade. “The only way to honour my brother kiptum is by winning the 2024 Olympic marathon and bringing the victory home“, stated Eliud in his social media post, and it looks like the unexpected event has fueled more air to his inner fire.

“No human is limited!!“, reminded the Olympian, evidently fixated on making sure the Kenyan team’s Olympic moment is more glorious than ever to honor Kevin’s death in front of the world’s biggest sporting congregation. Kipchoge has also requested his fans to stand beside him and his goal in the troubled times, as he and his teammates gear up for the ultimate rumble in Paris.

Kipchoge set a world record at the 2022 Berlin Marathon, which was later broken by Kiptum in the 2023 Chicago Marathon. Understandably, the two shared a relationship that helped both of them to develop their skills further. However, it’s not only Kipchoge who’s left devastated by his colleague’s sudden death.

The Marathon community is in shock

After news of Kiptum’s fate came to light, his training teammates were witnessed waving a teary goodbye to the late runner. Gervais Hakizimana, his long-time coach from Rwanda, had gone out of his to make sure the young athlete’s dreams were kept alive with vehement support from those around him. However, both of them met with a saddening end as their car crashed into a tree a couple of days ago.

Eliud Kipchoge seemed to have seen his legacy lying safely in the hands of Kelvin Kiptum. That was evident when he said in a press conference that was not surprised to see Kiptum breaking his record in the Chicago Marathon. But in the same press conference, he gave another clear statement.

Read more: Who Was Driving the Car That Killed Kelvin Kiptum?

“I will be the happiest on earth to win an Olympic medal for the third time, back-to-back-to-back. It’s about making history; it’s about inspiring a generation,” Kipchoge had said. Now one more reason has been added to that effort. With the running community still in mourning, it waits to be seen if Kipchoge can find the mental stability in time for the Olympics to follow up on his words and pay respect to his friend.

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