Athletics legend Eliud Kipchoge has paid a moving tribute to the late athlete Kelvin Kiptum ahead of Tokyo Marathon slated for Sunday, March 3.
Speaking in Tokyo, Japan, Kipchoge stated that the death of Kiptum was unfortunate for the athletics world.
“Unfortunate that he left here. His career was in high spirits and he was really running on a high level,” he commented.
The reigning Berlin Marathon champion added that the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympic Games will not be the same without Kiptum since there were a lot of expectations of him.
On her part, Netherlands’s international Sifan Hassan, who interacted with Kiptum in October last year, described him as a young athlete who had broken a lot of barriers.
“When he broke the world record in Chicago, I shared it with him. He was so young and he was showing the world what was possible. It’s very hard,” explained the athlete who was born in Ethiopia.
Kiptum died following a tragic road accident on his way to Chepkorio from Eldoret town. The car that Kiptum was driving lost control and hit a tree, killing the duo on the spot.
He was accorded a state send off which was attended by top leaders including President William Ruto.
Kipchoge and Hassan are favourites to win the coveted Tokyo Marathon title on Sunday.
