Tokyo 2020
Kipchoge aims to inspire next generation
Kenyan retains marathon title easily, says victory in pandemic 'means a lot to me'
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Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge pumping his fist after crossing the Olympic marathon finish line in Sapporo yesterday. Marathon-mad Japanese fans, who defied the Olympic organisers' request to stay away due to Covid-19, lined the streets of the city and cheered him on to the finish line. He rewarded them by posting the biggest winning margin - 1min 20sec - since 1972.
PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
SAPPORO • About 30km into the men's marathon in Sapporo yesterday, Eliud Kipchoge pulled away from the pack and began running his own race, chasing immortality.
The Kenyan looked like a man determined to run towards his legacy of greatness.
He took a peek behind him at one point and there was no one there. He was all alone - the greatest marathon runner in history and one of the greatest Olympians.
"I wanted to create a space to show the world that this is a beautiful race," he said after retaining the gold he won at the Rio 2016 Games in 2hr 8min 38sec.
Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands claimed the silver in 2:09:58, just two seconds ahead of Belgium's Bashir Abdi in the final event of the athletics programme at the Tokyo Games.
Kipchoge began to smile as marathon-mad Japanese fans, who defied the Olympic organisers' request to stay away due to Covid-19, lined the streets of Sapporo and cheered him on to the finish line.
He is only the third person to retain the Olympic marathon title, cementing his legacy, and smiling was his way of enjoying the race.
"That smile is the happiness," he said after recording the biggest victory margin (1min 20sec) since American Frank Shorter's win in the 1972 Munich Games.
The 36-year-old waved at the fans as he came through the tape, slapped his chest and pumped his fist into the air.
"I have fulfilled the legacy by winning the marathon for the second time, back-to-back. I hope now to help inspire the next generation," he added.
Doubts crept in about his ability to retain the Olympic title he won five years ago after he suffered a rare defeat in last October's London Marathon.
Kipchoge had previously won 10 straight races and his eighth place sparked rumblings that he may have started to fade.
But he allayed those concerns after a win in the Netherlands in April and after his victory here on what could be his last Olympic appearance, any lingering questions were put to rest.
Kipchoge, who has posted two of the five fastest times recorded at an Olympic marathon, said last month that winning in Sapporo would be his greatest achievement.
It was a big statement for an athlete who holds the world record of 2:01:39, has won 13 of the 15 marathons he has raced since 2013, and is the only man to have run the marathon in under two hours - even though it was not ratified by World Athletics due to the set-up of the 2019 event.
But Kipchoge explained that this victory held more significance than just the gold medal he wore around his neck after the race.
The mask-wearing crowd along the marathon route was a stark reminder to him that Covid-19 continues to rage on but the Games had offered hope the pandemic will one day subside.
"It means a lot for me, especially at this time," he said.
"It is a sign that shows the world we are heading in the right direction - we are on the right transition to a normal life.
"Today I lived my Olympic dream. I always say that sport is like life, whereby you can win and lose. But today was a day where I won and get to say I successfully defended my Olympic title."
On whether he would now hang up his shoes and retire, Kipchoge admitted his career was winding down but he still had something left in the tank.
"The end of my career will come automatically that's for sure, that's in front of my mind, but for now, I still want to compete more," he said.
"I still want to go around the world and run, inspire people.
"I'm going back now, (will) talk with my coach, see what are the opportunities in the world. Now, I want to enjoy winning here in Tokyo."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
