Eliud Kipchoge has suffered defeat in the men’s marathon race at the Paris Olympics.
Ethiopian Tamirat Tola Abera won the gold medal in the race clocking 2:06:26, dethroning Kipchoge who was the defending champion.
Kipchoge, the double Olympic marathon champion, sat in the 63rd place after the first 25km. However, Kipchoge did not reach the finishing line as he dropped off.
In the leading group after 19 kilometers, Kipchoge fell off showing visible signs of discomfort as he clutched the left side of his stomach and upper hip.
He withdrew just after the 30km mark, at which point he was 71st, more than eight minutes off the pace.
In videos seen by The Kenya Times in the crowd, Kipchoge turned to fans and handed over his shoes, bib and socks to supporters, receiving a rapturous reception.
Bashir Abdi of Belgium upgraded his Tokyo 2020 bronze to Paris silver (2:06:47).
Benson Kipruto who went to Paris as the fastest among all athletes in the race has secured a bronze medal after finishing third in 2:07:00.
Eliud Kipchoge Dreams Goes Up in The Smoke
Kipchoge was aiming for his third gold medal at the Olympics after winning in Rio in 2016 and at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
The two-time Olympic marathon champion made his fifth Olympic appearance at Paris 2024 with the ambition of claiming a historic third consecutive gold medal, but all his dreams were shut.
The race, which started at the Hôtel de Ville and ended on the Esplanade des Invalides, was Kipchoge’s 21st official marathon excluding the two-time trials in Monza and Vienna.
Kipchoge no longer holds the world record over 26.2 miles (42.195km), with his mark bettered by the late Kelvin Kiptum last October.
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“I want to go into history books, to be the first human being to win back-to-back-to-back,” he said in a past interview.
The two-time world record holder accomplished an incredible 10-race unbeaten streak in major marathons between 2014 and 2019.
Kipchoge Records in Athlete
Two World titles: Kipchoge won the 2003 junior world cross country title and 5000m gold at the 2003 World Athletics championships.
Five Berlin Marathon titles: The 39-year-old won the Berlin race in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2023.
Four Olympic medals: Kipchoge clinched 5000m bronze at Athens 2004, 5000m silver at Beijing 2008and claimed marathon gold at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
The number of years Kipchoge has raced internationally and has won six medals at world athletics championships, world cross country championships, and world indoor championships.
Four London Marathon titles: He won the London race in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019.10 Marathons won in a row: Kipchoge did not lose a race between 2014 and 2019.
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Kipchoge has run 2:05:00 or faster on 14 occasions and that excludes the unofficial races in Monza and Vienna. The Kenyan star athlete was only 18 when he claimed his first major title at the 2003 world athletics championships (5000m gold).
The two-time Olympic champion has raced for 22 years internationally and was only 28 years when he switched to the roads.
Marathon losses
Kipchoge finished second at the 2013 Berlin Marathon and 8th at the 2020 London Marathon, his first loss in seven years.
He was sixth at the 2023 Boston Marathon and 10th at his last run at the 2024 Tokyo Marathon. Berlin Marathon titles: Kipchoge won the Berlin race in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2023.
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