Ethiopian Tamirat Tola delivered a masterclass in solo front running to win the Olympic men’s marathon in Paris on Saturday as Eliud Kipchoge’s bid for a third gold went up in smoke.
Tola clocked an Olympic record of 2hr 06min 26sec for victory, finishing 21 seconds ahead of Belgium’s Bashir Abdi, whose silver marked an upgrade from his bronze garnered at the Covid-hit Tokyo Games three years ago.
Kenya’s Benson Kipruto, winner of Tokyo, Boston and Chicago marathons in recent years, rounded out the podium, a further 13 seconds adrift.
Tamirat Tola expressed his happiness and satisfaction with his Olympic victory and the fulfillment of his goal, calling it the greatest day of his life.
Tola won gold at the 2022 world championships in Eugene. More recently he finished third at last year’s London Marathon and won the New York City Marathon in a course record of 2:04.58.
Initially a reserve for the Ethiopian team, Tola got his chance to compete due to Sisay Lemma’s injuries. He felt well-prepared and knew the difficulty of winning at the Olympics, expressing great pride and happiness with his achievement.
No three-peat for Kipchoge
Former world record holder Kipchoge won golds at the 2016 Rio Games and in Tokyo in 2021, but the 39-year-old Kenyan pulled up late in the race with back pain.
He dropped out just after the 30km mark, at which point he was 71st, more than eight minutes off the pace.
It put an end to his ambitious attempt at a third consecutive win.
In scenes witnessed by an AFP reporter in the crowd, Kipchoge turned to fans and handed over his shoes, bib and socks to supporters, receiving a rapturous reception.
Kipchoge described the race as a challenging experience, comparing it to boxing, where even extensive training can end abruptly.
He noted that despite this being his worst marathon, his journey continues, reflecting on his various finishes throughout his career.
Tola’s teammate Kenenisa Bekele, who won three Olympic and five world golds over 5000m and 10,000m before turning to the marathon, finished 39th in 2:12.24.
Bekele praised Tola’s strength and expressed happiness for his victory, noting that the younger generation, including Tola, outperformed both himself and Kipchoge. He acknowledged the increasing competitiveness from younger athletes.
The 42km-long marathon course headed out of central Paris on a loop to Versailles, mimicking a key moment from the French Revolution: the Women’s March on Versailles, on 5 October 1789, which led to French King Louis XVI finally agreeing to ratify the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens.
The route included a 436m climb and 438m descent. The maximum gradient on the route was 13.5%. “If you are not really fit for this course, then it will be very rough,” said Bekele.
Silver medalist Abdi added, “The weather was hot, (the terrain featured) a lot of ups and downs. Actually, I expected going uphill would be most challenging, but I found going downhill most difficult.”
The course was very steep and difficult to control, especially after 29 km, with nearly 2 km of continuous downhill that was frightening and challenging. It was described as the hardest marathon course ever experienced.
With AFP
