Kelvin Kiptum, marathon world record holder who died Sunday evening in a road accident, was
“an extraordinary sportsman who left an extraordinary mark”
in sport, Kenyan President William Ruto said on Monday.
The 24-year-old athlete was
“undoubtedly one of the best athletes in the world who broke barriers to set a marathon record
,” the Kenyan head of state also said in a message posted on the social network. X, saying:
“Kiptum was our future”
.
Kenyan star Faith Kipyegon, a multiple world and Olympic champion who broke the 1,500m and 5,000m world records last year, expressed her sadness without words, posting three crying emojis and a Kenyan flag on her X account.
“Kiptum was one of the most exciting new prospects to emerge in road running in recent years
,” the international athletics federation said in a statement.
“We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the devastating loss of Kelvin Kiptum and his coach Gervais Hakizimana
,” declared its president Sebastian Coe, paying tribute to
“an incredible athlete”
.
“We will miss him very much
,” he concluded.
“A few days before the Olympic Games, we mourn the premature departure of a promising talent
,” declared the president of the Kenyan National Olympic Committee, himself a former marathon runner, Paul Tergat, while the double Olympic champion (2012, 2016) Kenyan 800m David Rudisha regretted
“a huge loss”
, in messages on X.