Tokyo | Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge retained the Olympic men’s marathon title as he crossed the finish line at Sapporo Odori Park in a time of two hours eight minutes and 38 seconds. Running in his fourth Olympics, Kipchoge had a better time than his 2016 Rio Olympic Games gold medal-winning performance.
“It means a lot to me, especially at this time,” Kipchoge said after winning his second Olympic gold. Last year was quite tough when the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 was postponed. I am happy for the local organizing committee which has successfully organized this event. It is a sign that shows the world that we are headed in the right direction.
Kipchoge, winner of bronze in the 2004 Athens Olympics and silver in the 5000 meters at the 2008 Beijing Games, won the 2016 Rio Olympic marathon gold.
Kipchoge has now joined a select club of runners who have successfully defended an Olympic marathon title. The others are Ethiopia’s Abebe Bikila (1960 and 1964) and East Germany’s Waldemar Sierpinski (1976 and 1980).
Kipchoge said, “I feel like I have completed my legacy by winning the marathon for the second time.” I hope it now helps to inspire the next generation.
Kipchoge was one minute and 20 seconds ahead of the next closest finisher. The Kenyan’s victory margin in the Olympic marathon is the biggest since 1972 when Frank Shorter of the US defeated Karel Lismont of Belgium in Munich by a margin of two minutes and 12 seconds.
The silver and bronze races here on Sunday ended on the sprint.
Abdi Ngei of the Netherlands defeated his training partner, Bashir Abdi of Belgium and Lawrence Cherono of Kenya, to win the silver in a time of 2:09:58.
Bashir, a winner of the 2019 Boston and Chicago Marathons, touched the finish line two seconds later and won the bronze medal with a time of 2:10:00.
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