KENYA’S Eliud Kipchoge claimed victory in the men’s marathon at Tokyo 2020 yesterday to become the first athlete since 1980 to retain an Olympic marathon title.

Immediately after his finish, the 36-year-old Kenyan held up two fingers to acknowledge his back-to-back marathon titles.

“King,” one of his fellow racers said as he walked by.

Kipchoge finished in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 38 seconds on a breezy and humid day along the streets of Sapporo. It was 80 seconds ahead of runner-up Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands. Bashir Abdi of Belgium earned bronze to close out the track and field portion of the Tokyo Games.

This was a running clinic put on by Kipchoge, who even fist-bumped a fellow racer. Kipchoge becomes the third athlete to win multiple gold medals in the men’s marathon, joining Abebe Bikila (1960, 1964) and Waldemar Cierpinski (1976, 1980).

About his reaction before making his move: “That smile is the happiness,” Kipchoge said. “They say to enjoy this world is to be happy.”

About that late surge: “I wanted to test my fitness. I wanted to test how I’m feeling. I was feeling right.”

About his legacy: “I want to be the inspiration for the next generation.”

On a day with plenty of cloud cover, Kipchoge simply cruised.

Along the way, runners were treated to actual fans clapping and cheering. Spectators haven’t been allowed in the venues because of coronavirus protocols. The fans saw a dominating performance from Kipchoge, who was a huge favorite as both the defending champion from Rio de Janeiro and the world record holder (2:01:39).

(SD-Agencies)