The world of athletics is in mourning after the tragic news of the death of Kelvin Kiptum, the world marathon record holder. The young athlete, only 24 years old, lost his life in a traffic accident in Kenya, along with his coach Gervais Hakizimana.
The fateful event occurred on Sunday in the town of Kaptagarin the Rift Valley, where Kiptum was training.
According to the police, The runner was at the wheel of the vehicle in which three people were traveling when he lost control, causing the car to go off the road and crash into a tree. As a result of the impact, both Kiptum and his coach lost their lives instantly.
Kelvin Kiptum It was considered the new phenomenon of athleticshaving established an impressive world record of 2 hours and 35 seconds in the Chicago marathon last October. His mark became the third men’s world record in the history of this competition in Chicago and the first since 1999, when Khalid Khannouchi achieved it.
The young Kenyan athlete had also achieved success in other marathons, such as his debut in Valencia in 2022 and his victory in London the following year.
In addition, he had big plans for the future, as he intended to become the first man to run an official marathon in less than two hours at the Rotterdam competition on April 14.
The news of his tragic death has shocked the entire athletic community. Kenyan President William Ruto called Kiptum “an extraordinary athlete” and highlighted his impressive record in the marathon world.
Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics, expressed his sadness at this devastating loss and sent his condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the Kenyan athlete.
Likewise, prominent figures in the sports field, such as the athlete Eliud Kipchoge, reacted with sadness to the news of the death of their rival, remembering him as a talented athlete with a promising future.
The Kenyan athletics community has also expressed its sadness over this tragic loss. Athletics Kenya sends its condolences to all members of this community at this difficult time.
The premature death of Kelvin Kiptum reminds us of that of another great Kenyan marathoner, Samuel Wanjiruwho lost his life at the age of 24 after falling from a balcony in Beijing in 2011.
Kelvin Kiptum’s legacy will be etched in the history of athletics, and his absence will be strongly felt at the next Olympic Games in Paris.
2024-02-13 00:38:14
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