Kenya’s marathon legend Catherine Ndereba has voiced her opinion regarding the raging debate on who between Kiptum and Kipchoge stands a better chance at the Paris Olympics
Kenya’s marathon legend Catherine Ndereba believes Eliud Kipchoge has a slight edge over Kelvin Kiptum if both of them make it to the Paris Olympics due to his experience.
Kiptum and Kipchoge could line up against each other at next year’s Olympics after making it to Kenya’s provisional team, setting up a potential battle of titans.
Attention has recently shifted to Kiptum after he broke Kipchoge’s world record in Chicago in October with some observers tipping him as the next big thing but Ndereba feels it will be too early to write Kipchoge off of since he understands how to tackle a championship race, having won back-to-back Olympic golds.
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World marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum has shrugged off any rivalry with Eliud Kipchoge by stressing the need to work as a team if both are selected for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
“Experience is the best teacher,” said Ndereba, a two-time Olympic marathon silver medallist. “It is a different game to run a city marathon and an Olympics or a championship race,” added the four-time Boston Marathon champion.
Ndereba is also of the opinion that tactics on race day will determine who claims which medal and not recent performances, once those who have been selected line up in Paris.
While Kipchoge has not revealed which race he will go for before the Olympics, Kiptum will run the Rotterdam Marathon in April before embarking on his Paris preparations.
15:21 - 16.12.2023
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The world record holder has become a revelation after posting three of the fastest times in as many races under one year while Kipchoge defended his Berlin marathon crown, having finished fifth in Boston.
“All of them are capable of doing all that is required so we are not going to think of the race yesterday, what matters is the race happening now,” added Ndereba.
“Even when we have trials for the different races before major championships, sometimes the person who won ends up getting silver and whoever was second or third wins gold. So, it is possible and acceptable.”
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Vincent Ngetich, second to Kipchoge in Berlin Marathon this year, Rotterdam Marathon runners-up Timothy Kiplagat, former Chicago and Boston Marathon champion Benson Kipruto, Bernard Koech, two-time New York Marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor, Cyprian Kotut, 2022 London Marathon champion Amos Kipruto and Titus Kipruto are the other runners on the list provisional list.
The team will be whittled down to five, three who will represent the country, and two reserves, in January before they embark on their Olympics preparations.
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