Marathon world record holder Calvin Kiptum dies in road accident in Kenya

Marathon world record holder Calvin Kiptum, the hot favorite for the Olympic title in the discipline at the Paris Games this summer, died in a road accident in central Kenya on Sunday, February 11, at the age of 24.

“The accident took place around 11 pm. (9pm in Paris). There were three passengers in the car. Two died instantly while one was rushed to hospital.Elgeyo Marakwet County Commander Peter Mulinge told reporters, confirmed “Both (dead) Kiptom and his trainer are » Gervais Hakizimana.

“It was Kiptam who was driving towards Eldoret and the driver lost control (of vehicle) (…)In which both died on the spot. A female passenger was taken to hospital with injuries »he added.

“An extraordinary athlete who leaves an extraordinary legacy”

Kiptam took the marathon world by storm, breaking the world record for the discipline in Chicago last October (in 2 hours 00 minutes and 35 seconds), pulverizing compatriot Eliud Kipchoge’s time by 34 seconds, his only career marathon in the marathon for third place. Kenya announced that she will attempt to become the first person to run an official marathon under the symbolic two-hour mark in Rotterdam on April 14.

Kiptam lost his life in the Rift Valley, Kenya’s long-distance running hub, about forty kilometers from Eldoret, not far from his training tracks and his home village of Chepkorio. He was trained by Rwandan Gervais Hakizimana, who met Kiptom during his training stay in Kenya.

“We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the death of Calvin Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana”Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics, commented in a press release from the International Association of Athletics Federations. “An extraordinary athlete who leaves an extraordinary legacy.” “We will miss him”It turns out.

Kenya Athletics in mourning again

“It’s a big loss.”In the 800m David Rudisha declared Kenyan double Olympic champion (2012, 2016). “Shock and deep sorrow” In a message on a social network. The Kenya Athletics Federation also had its say “deep sadness”And the organizing company of six major marathons (Boston, New York, Chicago, Berlin, London, Tokyo) said. “Devastated by the News”, In the messages on.

The death recalls the sudden death of another great Kenyan marathon runner, Samuel Wanjiru, at the same age in 2011, almost three years after his Olympic title at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Police concluded it was a homicide and said the athlete fell from the balcony before hitting his head. “speech object”.

In October 2021, Kenyan athletics was also rocked by the murder of its long-distance running hopeful Agnes Tirop, aged 25, who was found stabbed to death in her home in Iten, not far from Eldoret. A case of murder is going on against her husband.