[ad_1]
Kichoge’s run in Vienna was endorsed by the petrochemical company Ineos in an attempt called the 1:59 Challenge, although the milestone did not count as a world record.
During the race, Kipchoge followed behind a car, a condition not allowed by IAAF sanctions, and was assisted by an army of 30 pacemakers.
“It’s good for Nike. On the other hand, it’s a business. It’s good for Nike to be much higher than other companies when it comes to technology,” he responded when asked if it provided an unfair advantage over other athletes.
Nike was not immediately available for comment, but on its website the clothing manufacturer describes Kipchoge’s time of 1:59:40 in Vienna as an “extraordinary achievement – that was” years in the making. “
“Our premier racing shoe is loaded with new technology and innovation including two ultra-responsive Zoom Air pods in the forefoot and additional ZoomX foam in the heel.”
‘Electric shock’
Following a review of leading running shoes earlier this year, World Athletics approved Nike’s Vaporfly range, but banned shoes with soles larger than 40mm or with more than one plate to enhance their spring.
However, not all elite athletes sponsored by Nike are fans of the Alphafly shoe. Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele, who is widely seen as Kipchoge’s main rival at the London marathon, told reporters that he had suffered a series of nasty injuries and will instead wear an older version this weekend.
“Several times I had some minor injuries, like a muscle strain, because the shoe is not stable underfoot. It is really deformed, it is very soft. The muscle needs to adapt to the movement under it. It is really difficult. No one can wear the shoe. . “
Bekele, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, posted a time of 2:01:41 at the Berlin Marathon in September 2019, just two seconds off Kipchoge’s world record.
However, both Kipchoge and Bekele said their training regimens had been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
“It was really difficult when I had to train alone because for 17 years I have been training with six, 10 or 20 people all year long. So it was like an electric shock when I had to train alone,” he said. Kipchoge.
“It was difficult to get in shape and reach a high level of training. But lately we have consolidated a bigger team around me and the training has been good.”
Bekele added: “My preparation was good, but due to Covid-19 it was sometimes not as perfect as I had planned.
“It was very difficult in Africa, so it affected us a lot. We did everything we could to prepare well and more or less I have prepared well.”
