• Kipchoge aimed to make history as the first man to win three consecutive Olympic marathon titles after having secured the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo titles.
• This wasn't Kipchoge's only challenging marathon of the year. In March, he finished 10th at the Tokyo Marathon with a time of 2:06:50
Image: HANDOUT
Two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge is shifting gears for new opportunities after what he described as his "worst Olympics" on Saturday in Paris.
Kipchoge aimed to make history as the first man to win three consecutive Olympic marathon titles having secured the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo titles.
However, his quest came to an abrupt end at the 30km mark due to a sharp pain in his waist. At the time, he had clocked 1:39:38, placing 71st.
He, however, downplayed the severity of the pain stating that he was fine in post-race interviews.
Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola went on to clinch the crown with an Olympic record time of 2:06:26, leading Belgian Bashir Abdi (2:06:47) and Benson Kipruto (2:07:00) to the podium.
After the Paris debacle, Kipchoge says the focus now shifts to charting out new opportunities.
“Every competition has its downsides and Paris was not the best for me. I need to go back to the drawing board to see what opportunities are there for me to grab,” Kipchoge stated.
This wasn't Kipchoge's only challenging marathon of the year. In March, he finished 10th at the Tokyo Marathon with a time of 2:06:50, where Kenya's Kipruto (2:02:16), Timothy Kiplagat (2:02:55), and Vincent Ngetich (2:04:18) swept the podium.
Despite the setback, the five-time Berlin Marathon champion stressed that the Olympics is about more than just winning medals.
“The Olympics is not about winning medals. It’s about participation. You participate first, represent your country and continent and then compete to win medals,” Kipchoge added.
He further thanked his fans worldwide as well as in Kenya for their support throughout his illustrious career.
“I thank all the Kenyans and my fans across the world for their support. Over 50 million Kenyans have supported me as I continue to make Kenya a running country,” he stated.
The 39-year-old claimed his first Olympic marathon title in Rio 2016, cutting the tape in 2:08:44 to lead Ethiopia’s Feyisa Lilesa (2:09:54) and USA’s Galen Rupp (2:10:05) to the podium.
He defended his crown in Tokyo 2020 after clocking 2:08:38 ahead of Netherlands Abdi Nageeye (2:09:58) and Abdi (2:10:00).
Apart from the five Berlin Marathon titles, Kipchoge also holds four London Marathon titles, as well as the 2021 Tokyo Marathon and 2014 Chicago Marathon titles.
He is also a silver medallist from the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 5,000m as well as a bronze from the 2004 Athens Games in the same event.
Kipchoge pointed out that the future of Kenya marathoners is in safe hands with the new crop of young athletes.
“The future of Kenya is bright as far as marathon is concerned. There are a lot of strong competitive, energetic and disciplined athletes who have so much potential,” he noted.