Marathon Great Eliud Kipchoge Defends Olympic Title in Japan

Kenyan marathoner Eliud Kipchoge successfully defended his Olympic title with a commanding performance in Japan’s Sapporo on Sunday morning.

Kipchoge, who is the marathon world record holder, clocked 2 hours, 8 minutes, 38 seconds to win the gold medal in the 42-kilometer race.

The 36-year-old crossed the finish line 80 seconds ahead Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands, who bagged silver while Belgium’s Bashir Abdi settled for bronze in 2:10:00.

Kenya’s Lawrence Cherono was fourth in 2:10:02 while his compatriot Amos Kipruto dropped out of the race with roughly five kilometers to go

Kipchoge becomes the third athlete to win back-to-back gold medals in the Olympic men’s marathon after Ethiopia’s Abebe Bikila (1960,1964) and East Germany’s Waldemar Cierpinski (1976, 1980).

“I think I fulfilled the legacy by winning the marathon for the second time. That’s my total happiness, my inspiration for the next generation,” Kipchoge said after Sunday’s victory.

Kipchoge, who is now described as the greatest marathoner of all time, has four Olympic medals overall, having scooped 5,000m silver in 2008 and bronze in 2004.

“It means a lot to me, especially at this hard time. Last year was postponed, and now it has happened,” he added.

His victory margin of one minute 20 seconds was the biggest since Frank Shorter’s win in the 1972 Munich Games.