World marathon document holder Kelvin Kiptum dies in a site visitors accident | Sports | EUROtoday

Kelvin Kiptum, world marathon document holder, died this Sunday in a site visitors accident in Kenya, in accordance with what he introduced. The Standard, the nation's primary newspaper and confirmed by the Ministry of Sports of the African nation. Traveling with him was his coach, Gervais Hakizimana, who additionally misplaced his life within the occasion. Kiptum (Keiyo, Kenya, 24 years previous) was touring in a car within the Rift Valley, which hyperlinks Eldoret and Kaptagat, round 11:00 p.m. (native time in Kenya), in accordance with Elgeyo Marakwet police commander Peter Mulinge, who He additionally reported that the automobile, a Toyota Premio, was pushed by the athlete.

Kiptum's loss of life happens simply 5 days after World Athletics ratified the marathon world document achieved by the athlete on October 8 in Chicago, when with 2h 00m 35s he shattered the earlier document held till then by his compatriot Eliud Kipchoge. In this Olympic yr 2024, Kiptum was referred to as to be one of many primary sights of the Paris Games, in addition to a benchmark within the marathon within the years to come back.

In his brief sporting profession, Kiptum, 24, solely ran three marathons. He debuted in Valencia, in December 2022, with the quickest time in historical past for a rookie within the race (2h 01m 53s) after which, in 2023, he received first in London with 2h 01m 25s after which the aforementioned document established in Chicago the place he was simply 35 seconds away from what till just lately appeared like an athletics chimera, going below two hours within the 42 kilometer take a look at.

And the actual fact is that not way back, not even 5 years in the past, speaking a few marathon in two hours was speaking a few fantasy, virtually a utopia; a frontier of efficiency removed from the attain of human beings that might solely be approached by phenomenal athletes on the wings of know-how and extraordinary preparation with scientists from all branches of information caring for all the main points. Maybe it was exaggerated. Maybe every little thing goes too quick. Accelerated. As fast-paced and blissful as younger Kiptum and his white sneakers. Below two hours, solely Kipchoge, on the head of a military of hares and unauthorized aerodynamic aids, has thus far managed to go beneath two hours (1h 59m 40s). He did it in 2019 in Vienna, however the model was not accredited exactly because of the great amount of support obtained.

But Kiptum, now with out these benefits, sought to decrease that invisible two-hour line and, given his meteoric development, who is aware of if he wouldn’t have achieved it in Paris this summer time. Because the query is not whether or not somebody might run the marathon in lower than two hours, however when it will be achieved, and Kiptum was one of the best positioned to attain it. “I had the stopwatch in front of me and I said to myself, 'come on, try it, maybe you can even go under two hours,' but unfortunately I couldn't,” mentioned Kiptum, a pure picture of happiness, after attaining his document in Chicago. The day earlier than he had mentioned that he had not been in a position to practice very properly on account of a groin harm and since the wet season in Kenya had been very intense and his coaching paths have been very muddy. “I'm very happy. He did not plan to break the record here, in Chicago, but he knew that one day he would achieve it.” His unstoppable advance was stopped yesterday on a road in Kenya.

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