Kenya Clinches Bronze As Eliud Kipchoge Endures Tough Paris Olympic Marathon
Kipchoge, who has wowed fans all over the world with his prowess over the years, dipped out of contention in the early stages, missing out on a chance to achieve what few thought would be possible.
Viral Tea Ke Writer 
The quest for Kenyan marathon legend, Eliud Kipchoge for an unprecedented third successive Olympic Games gold medal ended in heartbreak on Saturday, August 10 at the Paris 2024 Olympic marathon.
Kipchoge, who has wowed fans all over the world with his prowess over the years, dipped out of contention in the early stages, missing out on a chance to achieve what few thought would be possible.
Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola crossed the line in an Olympic record time of 2:06.26 to secure the country's first gold of these Games.
Belgium's Bashit Abdi finished second to take the silver, with Kenya's Benson Kipruto winning bronze with a time of 2:07:00. It is worth noting that in 2023, Kipruto finished second behind the late Kelvin Kiptum, who set the world record (2:00:35).
Kenyan Benson Kipruto finished third in the men's marathon on August 10, 2024. /TEAM KENYA
32-year-old Tola stood out in Paris in style, breaking the late Samuel Wanjiru's record in the event, which had stood for 16 years since the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, by six seconds.
The marathon, a gruelling test of endurance, began with Kipchoge leading a formidable group of 14 athletes. However, the 39-year-old’s quest for immortality was dashed as he fell off the pace just at the halfway mark of the race. With 25 kilometres to go, the double Olympic marathon champion sat in 63rd place.
Kipchoge had appeared to struggle for a while, having clutched his waist in the middle of the race, a sign that all was not well in his quest to make history.
Even though he commandeered an impressive 2:01:09 minutes personal best, Kipchoge’s performance was not enough to secure him a third consecutive gold, a feat no athlete has achieved at the Olympics.
Despite the struggle at the Paris Olympics, Kipchoge’s career remains marked by a series of stunning victories, including 12 major marathons from 2014 to 2023 and a slew of prestigious awards.
His triumphs in Berlin, London, and at the World Championships had earned him a reputation as one of the greatest marathoners of all time. Yet, the sweltering Paris heat and the relentless competition proved too formidable.
Meanwhile, Kipruto's bronze medal extended Kenya's total medal tally in the 2024 Olympics to seven, placing the country 25th globally and top in the whole African continent.
Last night, this tally was extended to six after Kenya's Beatrice Chebet battled hard in the final 100 metres in front of over 70,000 fans at the Stade de France in Paris to clinch victory in the 10,000m race at a time of 30:43.25, completing her sweep of an Olympic double.
Additionally, with her victory at the 5,000m over fan favourite Faith Kipyegon, she became the first Kenyan woman to win a gold medal in the distance and the first athlete to win two individual gold medals in the Paris Olympics.
"To do the 5,000m and 10,000m is not something easy," Chebet told reporters after the win, who added that her strategy was "just focus, and know that you can achieve. Just believe in yourself.
"I believed that I could do it. I just wanted to win the 10,000m for my country. My country has never won a gold medal (in the women’s 10,000m). So I said I wanted to be the first woman to win a gold medal in the 10,000m."
While Chebet’s victory provided a glimmer of hope for Kenya, Kipchoge’s performance left many questioning whether the time has come for him to retire from competitive marathon running.
His illustrious career, marked by numerous accolades including the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports and the BBC World Sport Star of the Year, has inspired countless runners and elevated the sport’s profile globally.
Still, there is hope to come in the Olympics as Kipyegon looks to shake off a controversial finish in the 5,000m and become the first woman to win Olympic gold in the 1500m three times in a row, later tonight.
Kenya's Beatrice Chebet and Faith Kipyegon in the women's 5000m final of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on August 5, 2024. /X
