Seb Coe, president of World Athletics, led the tributes to marathon world record-holder Kelvin Kiptum and his coach Gervais Hakizimana after the Kenyan media reported that they had died in a automotive crash.
“We’re shocked and deeply saddened to be taught of the devastating lack of Kelvin Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana,” mentioned Coe. “On behalf of all World Athletics we ship our deepest condolences to their households, associates, team-mates and the Kenyan nation.
“It was solely earlier this week in Chicago, the place the place Kelvin set his extraordinary marathon world document, that I used to be capable of formally ratify his historic time. An unimaginable athlete leaving an unimaginable legacy, we are going to miss him dearly.”
Kiptum, who was 24, together with Rwanda‘s Hakizimana, 37, had been in a automotive accident within the Kaptagat space at 11pm native time on Sunday (Feb 11).
In response to the Normal newspaper, Kiptum, who was a father of two kids, was driving a Toyota Premio when he misplaced management of the car. Kiptum and Hakizimana died on the scene whereas a 3rd passenger, Sharon Chepkemoi, 32, survived and was taken to the hospital.
Kelvin Kiptum (Getty)
He set a world document of two:00:35 in Chicago final October. It was simply his third marathon, after operating a world document for a debut of two:01:53 in Valencia in December 2022 and a London Marathon course document of two:01:25 in April 2023.
On April 14 in Rotterdam, he was aiming to turn into the primary man to interrupt the two-hour barrier in an official race. Certainly, little over every week in the past he was revealed by sensible watch model Amazfit as their new ambassador, though he didn’t make the occasion the place the announcement was made in Paris as a result of journey issues.
The athletics world was additionally trying ahead to him taking up former world record-holder Eliud Kipchoge, amongst others, on the Paris Olympics this yr.
Kiptum’s loss of life comes 13 years after one other nice Kenyan marathon runner, Sammy Wanjiru, additionally died aged 24 following a fall from roof. Wanjiru received the 2008 Olympic title plus marathon titles in Chicago and London.
Kelvin Kiptum (LM Occasions)
The World Marathon Majors mentioned on Sunday: “Your entire Abbott World Marathon Majors household is devastated by the information that our males’s sequence champion and world record-holder Kelvin Kiptum and his coach Gervais Hakizimana have handed away. All of our ideas are with their household and associates presently.”
The London Marathon posted on social media: “We’re shocked and deeply saddened to listen to the horrible information of the loss of life of marathon world record-holder Kelvin Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana. The ideas of everybody on the TCS London Marathon are with Kelvin’s and Gervais’ household and associates.”
Kenya’s minister for sports activities Ababu Namwamba mentioned on social media: “Devastatingly sickening!! Kenya has misplaced a particular gem. Misplaced for phrases.”
Kelvin Kiptum
IOC President Thomas Bach added: “It’s with excessive unhappiness that I learnt of the tragic passing of world marathon record-holder Kelvin Kiptum from Kenya in a automotive accident. We had been trying ahead to welcoming him into the Olympic group on the Olympic Video games Paris 2024 and seeing what the quickest marathon runner on the planet might obtain. Our ideas are along with his household and associates in addition to with these of his coach, Gervais Hazimana, who additionally died within the accident.”
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