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Ethiopia’s Tola wins men’s marathon, Kipchoge drops out
Tola clocked an Olympic record of 2hr 06min 26sec for victory, finishing 21 seconds ahead of Belgium’s Bashir Abdi, whose silver marked an upgrade from his bronze garnered at the Covid-hit Tokyo Games three years ago.
Kenya’s Benson Kipruto, winner of Tokyo, Boston and Chicago marathons in recent years, rounded out the podium, a further 13sec adrift.
“Thank you, Paris!” said Tola, the 2016 Olympic 10,000m bronze medallist.
“I’m happy today, I was 2022 world champion and now I’m Olympic champion.
“It’s the greatest day in my life. This was my goal.”
Tola, a late call-up to replace injury-hit Sisay Lemma, won gold at the 2022 world championships in Eugene.
More recently he finished third at last year’s London Marathon and won the New York City Marathon in a course record of 2:04.58.
“I was the reserve in the Ethiopian team, but when Sisay had injuries, then I had a chance to represent him,” Tola said.
“I was fully prepared and knew I could fulfil my dream. This is the Olympics and it is not easy to win the Olympic Games, not at all. I am very proud, very happy.”
Former world record holder Kipchoge won golds in the 2016 Rio Games and in Tokyo in 2021, but the 39-year-old Kenyan pulled up late in the race with back pain.
He dropped out just after the 30km mark, at which point he was 71st, more than eight minutes off the pace.
It put an end to his ambitious attempt at a third consecutive win.
“Today was a tough day at the office,” said Kipchoge. “It’s like boxing. You can go to a training camp for five months and be knocked out in two seconds. But life will continue.
“This is my worst marathon. I have never done a DNF (did not finish). Like a boxer, I have been knocked down, I have won, I have come second, eighth, 10th, fifth – now I did not finish. That’s life.”