The death of young Kenyan athlete Kelvin Kiptumworld marathon record holder, in a traffic accident this Sunday caused massive unrest in Kenya, causing many signs of distress and posthumous tributes.
“Kelvin Kiptum is a star. Possibly one of the best athletes in the world already broke barriers to achieve a marathon record“said the president of Kenya, William Ruto, on his X social network account, recalling that “he is only 24 years old.”
“Kiptum is our future. An extraordinary athlete left an extraordinary mark on the world. Our thoughts are with the family and the sporting fraternity. Rest in peaceRuto added.
The country’s first lady Rachel Ruto declared herself “heartbroken” by the death of the athlete, whom she described as “a symbol of resilience, hard work and the indomitable spirit of the Kenyan people.”
In a similar tone, the country’s vice president, Rigathi Gachagua, described the death of the athlete as a “great loss,” “a fantastic star (who) raised the Kenyan flag so high, that lifts and carries glory to our country.”
The leader of the opposition, Raila Odingaalso echoed the “devastating news.”
“My deepest condolences to his loved ones, friends and the entire athletic fraternity. “Our country mourns the great loss of a true hero,” Odinga stressed to X.
The Kenya Athletics Federation (Athletics Kenya) announced Kiptum’s death.
“Our deepest condolences to their families and the entire sports community at this difficult time,” Athletics Kenya told X.
Also, the legendary David Rudisha, Olympic champion and world record holder in the 800 meters, expressed himself as “disappointed” and was deeply saddened” by the death of his countryman.
“My deepest condolences to the families, friends, the sports fraternity and Kenya in general. “It’s a big loss,” added Rudisha on the aforementioned social network.
Kiptum died along with his coach, the Rwandan Gervais Hakizimana, in a traffic accident that occurred last night on the road that connects Eldoret to Kaptagat, in western Kenya, in a car that the athlete himself was driving.
His death also released a wave of sympathy on an international level praising the figure of the young Kenyan, who was called to mark an era in athletics because of his youth and for being the main candidate to go under two hours at the mythical distance.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Jason Root, a professional writer working with Today Times Live, the premier news website. I specialize in sports writing, covering the biggest stories in the world of athletics. With an eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, I provide engaging and informative articles that capture the key elements of any event or issue. My work has been featured on numerous respected websites and publications around the world.
