Berlin — Eliud Kipchoge’s coach Patrick Sang has hinted that his ‘Super Human’ athlete will try once again to break the men’s marathon world record after missing it at this year’s Berlin Marathon.
Kipchoge, who holds the world record in a time of 2:01:09, successfully defended his Belin Marathon title in 2:02:42, which is the eighth-fastest men’s time in marathon history and claimed a fifth historic Berlin Marathon.
“I am happy for Eliud (Kipchoge) for what he was able to achieve, I am also happy that all Kenyans came together to watch this race, sport is the way to unite our country, our people, and the world,” Sang, who also coaches double Olympic Champion and multiple world record holder, Faith Kipyegon, said.
Sang added, “In every event you give it your best, I know he (Kipchoge) gave his best and he won and we have to accept that… and that there is another time to try and to bring down the time.”
-Eyes another milestone in Olympics-
It is not yet clear if Kipchoge, who turns 39 years on the 5th of November, will race in another marathon before next year’s Paris 2024 Olympics set for July, which technically leaves him with Tokyo and London slated for March 3, 2024 and April 21, 2024 respectively if he’s to go one before the Games.
Kipchoge, who has smashed the world record twice including his own last year in Berlin (2022), is already confirmed for Paris Olympics where he is the ambassador.
“We believe in one chapter at a time, and I think that we have closed the chapter for Berlin Marathon, we are going to sit down and plan the next step,” Coach Sang, who won silver at the 1992 Barcelona 3000m steeplechase, told Capital Sport in Berlin.
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If Kipchoge wins the Olympics in Paris, then he will reach another milestone, becoming the first man in the history of the games to achieve a three-peat in the men’s marathon.
Speaking after his victory in Berlin, Kipchoge confirmed that his sights are now focused on Olympics.
“My focus now is on the Olympics next year; I will now go home recover and attempt to write history at the Olympics. I have learnt that your plan might not go the way you want but that is sport you need to accept and move on,” Kipchoge underscored.
Currently only Kipchoge, Ethiopia’s Abebe Bikila (1960, 1964) and Germany’s Waldemar Cierpinski (1976, 1980) have defended the Olympics marathon title.
-Alex Isaboke is reporting from Berlin, Germany-
