Sports
Pressure mounts as Kenyans Kipsang, Kipchoge off to Berlin marathon
Nairobi, Sep 19 (IANS) Anxiety is reaching boiling point as former world marathon record holder Wilson Kipsang and Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge left for Germany to compete at the Berlin Marathon on Sunday.
The two might be the hottest candidates to attack the 2:02:57 hours world record set by Dennis Kimetto in 2014 and their commitment to attain this goal leaves many imagining by how far they will raise the bar, reports Xinhua news agency.
Throw in former Berlin marathon champion Kenenisa Bekele, former world marathon record holder Patrick Makau and Luke Kibet, the former world marathon champion and it doesn’t get much better than that.
“I can’t wait for the race day. I am looking forward to battle against Bekele and Kipchoge. I am better placed than anyone else to break the world record. I have done it before and believe I am able to do it again,” Kipsang said on Tuesday in Nairobi.
The world record has been broken in the German capital a record six times, four of those by Kenyans athletes — Paul Tergat, Makau, Kipsang and Kimetto — while Haile Gebreselassie also did it twice.
But Kipsang also want to be second time lucky on Sunday as he seeks to improve his personal best time. “The journey has started,” said Kipsang. “We are on our way to Berlin marathon with my wife and son.”
Meanwhile, world marathon champion Geoffrey Kirui has backed Kipchoge and Kipsang to “obliterate” the world marathon record in Berlin.
“I have confidence that Kipchoge and Kipsang have what it takes to obliterate the record. This is a race where each athlete must sacrifice and go for it,” he said.
Kirui, who was second at the London World Championships in August, confirmed that he is not planning to contest any more marathons in 2017.
“I won’t run any marathon this year. I want to relax after my world championships feat,” said Kirui, who is planning to run the Delhi Half Marathon on November 19.
Kirui was to compete at the Chicago Marathon in October, but will now have to sit it out as he recuperates and watch closely how his body reacts.
Kirui is careful not to pick up fresh injuries having sat out the last two seasons with a knee problem.
–IANS
pur/vm
The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.
Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.
Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”
Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.
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