(RepublicanDaily.org) – Olympic prospect and promising marathon athlete Kelvin Kiptum has died in a fatal car crash in his home country of Kenya.
The 24-year-old athlete’s world record he set during the Chicago Marathon last year had just been recently ratified by World Athletics, an international track federation. His participation in the last year’s marathon in Chicago was only Kipton’s third time to join a major and elite event, where he set a completion record of two hours and 35 seconds. He beat a previous record of 2 hours, one minute, and nine seconds set by Eliud Kipchoge at a 2022 marathon in Berlin, Germany. Kipchoge was a fellow Kenyan whom many consider to be the greatest marathon runner of all time. Kiptum also held three of the seven fastest marathon times in the sport’s history.
Given his performance last year, many believed that Kiptum would eventually record a marathon finishing time of under two hours, which would have made him the first to have accomplished the feat in the history of the sport. He was also expected to bring his talents to this year’s Olympics in Paris, where he was a strong contender to win a gold medal.
According to Kenyan police, Kiptum lost control of the car he was driving – a Toyota Premio – which caused him to violently swerve off the road and into a ditch, which in turn caused him to hit a large tree.
Kiptum did not survive long enough to be brought to a hospital, and was declared dead on the scene. His coach, Gervais Hakizimana, who was also riding the car with Kiptum, suffered the same fate. Another passenger in the vehicle, 24-year-old Sharon Chepkurui Kosgei Keiyo, sustained serious injuries, but survived the accident.
World Athletics, the sporting body that ratified Kiptum’s record, called Kiptum and Hakizimana deaths “shocking” and a “devastating loss” for both their families and the marathon world.
Copyright 2024, RepublicanDaily.org
