Marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptom passes away

marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum and his coach gervais hakizimana Died in a car accident in Western kenya Police said on Sunday that a third passenger was injured.

“The accident occurred around 11:00 pm (20:00 GMT). There were three people in the car, two died at the scene and one was taken to hospital. “These two are Kiptom and his coach,” he said. Peter Mulinge, Algeo Maraquet County Police Commander. In western Kenya.

He said the car was going eldoretA town in western Kenya, when the accident occurred.

Kiptom broke a world record 2:00:35 at Chicago Marathon In October, 34 seconds less than the previous record of his fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge.

Kiptum was 24 years old and on his way to becoming a long-distance running superstar.

kenyan sprinter milka camos, who was at the hospital where the bodies were taken, and said he was among a group of athletes who went to Eldoret Hospital after hearing news of the accident. Kemos said Kiptum’s relatives also accompanied him to identify his body.

Kiptom was the first person to run a marathon Less than 2 hours and 1 minute. Kiptum’s record was approved by international athletics federation World Athletics last week.

President of Kenya Athletics Federation, jackson tuweisaid it had dispatched a team of officers to the area after receiving information about the accident overnight.

Kiptum found immediate success by running the fastest time ever achieved by a marathon debutant at the 2022 Valencia Marathon. Last year he won the London and Chicago races, The two most prestigious marathons in the world.

President of World Athletics, sebastian coeX, formerly of Twitter, was one of the first to express his condolences in a statement.

“We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the devastating loss of Kelvin Kiptom and his coach Gervais Hakizimana,” Coe wrote. “On behalf of all of World Athletics we express our deepest condolences to his families, friends, teammates and the nation of Kenya.”

“Earlier this week in Chicago, the venue where Kelvin set his extraordinary marathon world record, I was able to officially confirm his historic time. An incredible athlete who leaves an incredible legacy, he will be greatly missed,” Coe wrote.

Kiptom’s death leaves behind the duel that the Kenyan runner was going to fight on the asphalt of Paris with his compatriot Kipchoge in the marathon. olympic games, an appointment that focuses millions of viewers across the planet With the double incentive of not knowing who will win and whether anyone will be able to run under two hours: Kipchoge, the legend, the best marathon runner in history, against Kiptom, the promise and fastest in the distance. Two styles, two different athletes, but the same passion and the same challenge, running kilometers and trying to enter the gold book of world athletics with the two-hour hurdles.

This sad news leaves the world of athletics without one of its current greatest athletes.

(With information from AFP, EP, AP and EFE)