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Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge hopes to come back strong after a blocked ear and a problem hip saw him fail to defend his title for a fifth victory at the London Marathon on Sunday.
But on the contrary, Kipchoge’s compatriot Brigid Kosgei did a light job with the dire conditions combined with rain and cold at St James Park to retain her title.
“I’m really disappointed because I thought I was going to run better. My right ear was blocked, I don’t know what happened. I had cramps and also had problems with my hip,” said Kipchoge explaining that he was doing quite well before and during the initial stages of the race. .
“After 25 kilometers my right ear was blocked and I couldn’t open any more. It just happened in the race. It’s very cold here, but I don’t blame the conditions,” Kipchoge said, adding that he will consult his coach Patrick Sang. to explore what may have happened.
“But that’s the way the sport is, we must accept defeat and focus on winning next time. I still have more marathons and will be back,” promised Kipchoge.
Renowned sports therapist Japheth Kariakim indicated that various conditions in London could have affected most athletes who are not used to the weather.
“You can get cramps when the muscles get cold due to severe cold. When it’s windy, some can have a stuffy nose, which can affect their hearing,” said Kariakim, who has led the Kenya team for the Olympics, the Commonwealth, the African Games and the World Championships in athletics, among others.
“When the ears get blocked, you tend to lose your balance and one side of the body begins to have more balance than the other,” Kariakim said, adding that Kipchoge could have been affected by the adverse weather in St James Park.
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The women’s race was held below eight degrees, but the temperature during the men’s race improved between 11 and 14 degrees Celsius.
“There has been a long preparation for this race with a total focus for many months,” said Kosgei, who said she was honored by the support of Kenyans with an iconic building like KICC with her photos.
Kosgei said she felt strong despite the cold weather in London.
“Now is the time to rest and recover,” said Kosgei, who thanked his coach Eric Kimaiyo and his team at Kapsait, Elgeyo Marakwet especially his pacemakers.
And the Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to Kenya, Mele Alem, congratulated both the Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes for their outstanding performance that saw them beat the world.
“Once again, the two East African countries have proven that they are home to world-class elite athletes,” Alem said. “Long distance running is tasteless without Ethiopian and Kenyan athletes.”
Alem also congratulated Kenya on successfully hosting the Kip Keino Classic, where their country was heavily represented with players such as Halu Lemlem winning 1,500m for women and Argawi Berihu finishing second in 5,000m for men.
“Athletics is not just a sport or entertainment for our youth, but rather life,” Alem said.
