For pesin wey already don be marathon world record holder at only 24 years, Kelvin Kiptum get bright future bifor im die for road accident.
Na im already dey look forward to di Paris Olympics wia go happun for July 2024.
For one interview wit di world athletics, Kiptum tok say “I don start dey train wia I wan go dia and do my best, maybe to beat my time.”
Dat dream don scatter afta di Sunday tragedy wey don kill am. Kiptum die for road accident for im home kontri.
E die along wit im coach, Rwanda Gervais Hakizimana, inside car for road for western Kenya on Sunday.
Kiptum make breakthrough for 2023 as a rival to compatriot Eliud Kipchoge – one of di greatest marathon runners.
Na for Chicago last October wey Kiptum beat Kipchoge achievement, wen e reach di 26.1 miles (42km) in two hours and 35 seconds.
Di two athletes don already dey for Kenya provisional marathon team for di Paris Olympics later dis year.
Dis na five tins to know about di promising athlete
World athletics name am athlete of di year 2023
Di athletics governing body don award Kiptum for im extraordinary achievement for 2023.
Afta im grab di headlines for im marathon debut for December 2022, Kiptum do great tins.
For dat debut for Valencia, im clock 2:01:53.
Less dan one year later, im smash di world record with 2:00:35 wey im take win for Chicago.
Dat performance wit im victory early dat year for di ‘london marathon for course’ record of 2:01:25, make dem name am world athlete of di year for men’s ‘out-of-stadia, events.
Kenya pipo give am ogbonge welcome afta im beat di world record for October 2023.
Afta Kelvin set im new record for Chicago in October 2023, wia be 02:00:35, im home kontri don give am ogbonge welcome.
Di ministry of youth affairs don organize elaborate event to welcome di athlete.
Na so goment officials and ministers meet am for airport wia dem give am garland.
Dem also host am for banquet to celebrate im achievement.
Kenyan athlete Eliud Kipchoge, wey Kelvin don break im world record don tok at di time say im make happy say im kontri man don do am.
Kelvin Kiptum love im family
For pesin wey hit di limelight early for im career, na so im family be im backbone.
Like many public figures, Kelvin dey keep im private life away from di media spotlight.
But as im return for im world record-breaking Chicago marathon, Kelvin don celebrate im family.
Di 24 year-old post picture of im and im family wia im tok say na dia support dey motivate am.
For dat post, Kiptum write, “home be di best, I don dey grateful to my parents and family for di support wey dey give me until I become world beater.”
Kelvin Kiptum don sign partnership deal wit leading smart watch brand
For 1 February 2024, one ogbonge watch brand don sign Kiptum as ambassador.
For di announcement of di partnership, amazfit global tok say “we make happy to announce our newest #amazfit athlete. Kelvin be di definition of #breakinglimits wey im be world record holder for di men’s marathon.”
Di brand tok say dem dey look forward to working wit Kiptum for di Rotterdam and Paris marathon wey go happun later dis year bifor.
Afta im death, amazfit global don tok say di news worry dem.
For one statement, di watch brand tok say “Kelvin be more dan athlete to us, na im be source of inspiration.”
“We don dey honour im memory and we for carry im legacy forward,” amazfit global add.
Kiptum also be Nike-sponsored athlete
Di late Kenyan athlete don dey good company wit super stars wey ogbonge footwear brand, Nike, don dey sponsor.
Footballers like Marcos Rashford, Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe, Tennis star, Serena Williams and odas.
Kelvin don use di Nike Alphafly 3 wia dem launch for January 2023, to break di world marathon record for Chicago for October.
Nike don describe di shoe as “di fastest marathon shoe for di world.”
Di ogbonge shoe brand tok for dia tribute say di death pain dem well well.
“Kelvin be one of dose special athlete wia show di world wetin we fit achieve.”
Paying tribute to Kiptum, Kenyan Sports Minister Ababu Namwamba write on X: “Devastatingly sickening!! Kenya don lose a special gem. Lost for words.”
Kenya opposition leader and former prime minister, Raila Odinga, say di kontri don lose “a true hero” and dey mourn “a remarkable individual… and Kenyan athletics icon”.
Sebastian Coe, di president of World Athletics, say Kiptum na “incredible athlete wey leave incredible legacy, we go miss am dearly”.
Di road accident happun at about 23:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on Sunday, na so police tok according to AFP news agency.
Giving further details of di crash, police say na Kiptum dey drive di motor, and di car “lose control and roll, killing di two on di spot”.
One tok-tok pesin wey AFP quote tok say di third passenger – wey be woman – bin wunjure and dem “rush am go hospital”.
Just last week, im team announce say e go attempt to run di distance under two hours for di Rotterdam marathon – sometin wey nobody don achieve for open competition.
Di rise to fame for di father-of-two bin happun fast – e only run im first full marathon in 2022.
E compete for im first major competition four years earlier wen e dey run wit shoes wey im borrow becos e no fit afford to buy im own.
E dey among a new crop of Kenyan athletes wey start dia careers on di road, as dem break away from di past tradition of athletes wey start on di track bifor dem switch to longer distances.
Kiptum bin tell BBC last year say im unusual choice dey simply determined by a lack of resources.
“I bin no get money to travel to track sessions,” e explain.
Im coach, Hakizimana, wey be 36 years, na retired Rwandese runner. Last year, e spend months to help Kiptum target di world record.
Dia relationship as coach and athlete start for 2018, but di two of dem bin first meet wen di world record holder bin small.
“I know am wen e be small boy, dey keep animals without shoes,” Hakizimana recall last year.
“Na for 2009, bin dey train near im papa farm, e go come dey kick me for leg and I go chase am comot.
“Now, I dey grateful to im for dis achievement.”
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