Retirement not on cards for Kipchoge after Tokyo Olympics feat

Matthews Mutaiin Tokyo Japan

Eliud Kipchoge, still the greatest force in marathon at the age of 36, says he has no intention of retiring from the sport after ticking off the latest item on his bucket list.

In Tokyo, Kipchoge became only the third person to win gold in back-to-back Olympics, reaffirming his status as the greatest runner in history over the 26.2 mile distance.

His masterful victory on Sunday answered questions about whether his defeat at the London Marathon last October was only a blip or the beginning of the end of a glittering career.

Kipchoge has already achieved virtually everything on offer for him and now seems to have begun a phase of his career where every latest loss or victory will generate questions about whether he has contemplated calling it a career.

“I think I fulfilled the legacy by winning the marathon for the second time. It is my total happiness, my inspiration for the next generation.

“For the last two years I’ve been planning about the Tokyo 2020 Olympics because I value the importance of planning and preparation.

“What was in my bucket list was the Tokyo 2020 so I’m going back now to talk with my coach, see other opportunities and I will come back and reveal my plans. For now I want to enjoy winning here in Tokyo,” Kipchoge said.

Kipchoge added that when he does retire it won’t be a spur of the moment decision sprung on an unsuspecting public.

“The end of my career will come automatically that’s for sure, that’s in front of my mind, but for now, I still want to compete more,” he added.

Kipchoge,  entered Sunday’s race after winning 12 of the 14 official marathons he had competed in, and now has four Olympic medals overall, having also taken 5,000m silver in 2008 and bronze in 2004.

He set the official world record of 2:01:39 at the 2018 Berlin Marathon and a year later became first person in history to run a marathon in less than two hours.

The marathon and the Tokyo Olympic Games at large were about more than just sports for Kipchoge, they were about the endurance of the human spirit.

They represented hope after a year of human suffering and deaths due to the global pandemic, he said, the mask-wearing crowds along the marathon route a stark reminder that COVID-19 was still raging on.

His win on Sunday held more significance than just the gold medal he wore around his neck after the race.

“It means a lot for me, especially at this time,” he told reporters later, saying the past year had been “really hard” particularly with the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The fact that the Games went ahead was important to show that life will return to normal one day, he said.

“It is a sign that shows the world we are heading in the right direction – we are on the right transition to a normal life,” he said.

Kipchoge’s commanding victory in Sapporo cemented his place among the all-time greats of the sport.