#KOT will not allow Eliud Kipchoge slander from anyone

#KOT will not allow Eliud Kipchoge slander from anyone

Kenyan athlete Eliud Kipchoge on Saturday wrote his name into history books by becoming the first man to run a marathon in under two hours, but not everyone was impressed.

A section of social media users and media outlets from the West have since attempted to downplay Kipchoge’s feat in the INEOS 1:59 challenge, crediting it instead to…get this…shoes!

Kipchoge, during the heavily billed race, ran using the Nike ZoomX Vaporfly shoes which, according to Forbes, “feature a carbon fiber plate in the sole and increase performance by over 4%.”

The UK’s Telegraph termed the shoes as “a previously unseen version still in its testing phase” further describing them as “legal doping” because of their “carbon plate and huge foam midsole.”

Irish journalist Cathal Dennehy, speaking on Germany TV show ‘Off The Ball’, full on described Kipchoge’s record-shattering run as “technological doping” saying that, in fact, “the shoes are the game changer here.”

“They (Nike) have the best minds in the world working on making the fastest shoes in the world. The way they do it is a bit dubious because it came out early in 2016, and the prototype was only given out to their special few,” said Dennehy.

“Other Nike athletes even who are professional athletes still don’t get this certain shoe. They have a mass-market version of this shoe that you can buy for about €300, but the ones the elites wear is a different shoe personalised for them and is far more effective.”

Such kind of reviews are among the many that Kenyans on Twitter, alias #KOT, have – in solidarity with Kipchoge, the man of the moment – refused to take lying down.

Twitter user Jonathan J. Marcus firsthand experienced #KOT’s anger when tweeted a photo of the Nike ZoomX Vaporfly with the caption: “This is what propelled a human to running a sub-2 hour marathon. Not his “mind. Not his training. Not his diet. Advanced shoe technology. Period — end of discussion.”

Kenyans online jumped at Marcus’ comment section, with a large number of them asking him to also go get the shoes and attempt a stab at the sub-2 hour marathon.

Not his “mind.”
Not his training.
Not his diet.

Advanced shoe technology.
Period — end of discussion.

Remember, no one in professional tennis plays with a wooden racket anymore… pic.twitter.com/u0x9dbSU0v

— Jonathan J. Marcus (@jmarpdx) October 14, 2019

— Mercy (@mercy_nkathah) October 14, 2019

https://twitter.com/Mwafreeka/status/1183680773162962944

— tSN (@AkelLove) October 14, 2019

https://twitter.com/rayrodneyr/status/1183644191374491649

— John-Allan Namu (@johnallannamu) October 14, 2019

— The Prince (@PrinceCollo254) October 14, 2019

— Kamtu Ka Mbao (@kampupi) October 14, 2019

And don't say end of discussion, as even human thought can never be limited.

— Ramadhan, Esq (@Ramadhern) October 14, 2019

— Kerr Owino (@PharaohMenya) October 14, 2019

— Just Keep Swimming (@wambuiwaithaka) October 14, 2019

— ㋡ Invincible (@Its_Jaymo) October 14, 2019

https://twitter.com/CollinceBey/status/1183650332582301697

https://twitter.com/kevpeint/status/1183630721639944192

— Mwende Ngao (@mwendesusu) October 14, 2019

Tags:

Eliud Kipchoge INEOS 1:59 Challenge Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Sir James Ratcliffe

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