"I want to sell a new story"- Eliud Kipchoge exudes confidence as he gears up for comeback after recording first 'Did not finish' at Paris Olympics

By Animesh Pandey

Modified Oct 09, 2024 03:33 GMT

Former world record holder in men's marathon Eliud Kipchoge has resumed his training. The 39-year-old runner suffered a rare setback at the Paris Olympics, where he dropped out of the race after the 30km mark.

However, Kipchoge has put it all behind. Though he has no specific goals, he is aiming to make it count once again. In an interviews to Olympics.com, he revealed his plans for the future.

"I want to peak slowly, then try to move on slowly. I had to take time off to adjust. To see what's going on. Just pick up again and move on. It was tough. But I think I am going on well,” said Kipchoge.

The Kenyan runner has refused to disclose if he'll participate at the Olympics again. However, he has assured his followers that he'll back for another season in 2025. In his words,

"I still want to run a few more marathons. All the stories have been about quitting when you are up. I want to sell a new story. Why don’t you just do other things and do it smoothly? Put your foot on another thing which is associated with running and still give inspiration and make the world united again through running.”

Eliud Kipchoge also uploaded a picture of his training session on Instagram a couple of days ago. This was a message to his fans that he might be down, but his journey is far from over.

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Eliud Kipchoge at the Paris Olympics

Eliud Kipchoge [3rd from right] in action at the Paris Olympics [Image Source : Getty]

Eliud Kipchoge, who held the former world record of 2:01.09 hours until 2023, was all set to complete a hattrick of gold medals at the Paris Olympics. Despite facing several controversies both off and on the field, the Kenyan runner was all set to add a third consecutive Olympic gold medal from the men's marathon to his collection.

However, despite starting well, Kipchoge felt exhausted by the halfway mark. He tried his level best, but couldn't sustain it beyond the 30km mark. Eventually he had to give up, and the marathon was subsequently won by Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia, who broke the 16-year-long Olympic record with a timing of 2:06.26 hours.

For the first time in the history of his two-decade long Olympic career, the Kenyan runner had to withdraw from the race even before it was over. In the interview with Olympics.com, Kipchoge recounted the forgettable event, and how he felt after the exit.

"It came as a surprise,” said Kipchoge. I will remember that Paris 2024 I participated, but I did not finish. Those are the memories which I'll remember out of it."

Eliud Kipchoge had made his Olympic debut in long distance running at the Athens Olympics in 2004. He participated in the men's 5000m event, where he eventually won a bronze medal. At the Beijing Olympics, Kipchoge upgraded his bronze to a silver in the same event.

However, the Kenyan runner did not make his Olympic debut in the marathon event until the Rio Olympics of 2016, where he won the gold medal with a time of 2:08.44 hours. He won another gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, recording a time of 2:08.38 hours.