Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola broke the Olympic record to win the men’s marathon on Saturday.
Tola, the 2022 world champion, dominated the marathon on the sun-drenched streets from central Paris to Versailles as Eliud Kipchoge’s bid for a third straight gold went up in smoke.
Tola delivered a masterclass in solo front running to clock a time of 2hr 06min 26sec, 21 seconds clear of Belgium’s Bashir Abdi, the bronze medallist from Tokyo, with Kenya’s Benson Kipruto taking bronze.
“I’m happy today. I was the 2022 world champion and now I’m Olympic champion,” said Tola.
“It’s the greatest day in my life. This was my goal.”
Former world record holder Kipchoge, the 39-year-old Kenyan who won golds in the 2016 Rio Games and in Tokyo in 2021, pulled up late in the race.” AFP
