Kiplangat chases historic marathon gold

Realistically, reaching a four-medal tally as it were at the last on Saturday night.

But before that, his half-brother Victor Kiplangat is the last big medal prospect for Uganda. Together with Stephen Kissa and Andrew Kwemoi, Kiplangat will lay out cards for a medal in the men’s marathon final that comes up on the streets of the French capital on Saturday morning.

They will be in a field of 84 men and will engage gears for the distance of 42.195km beginning at Hôtel de Ville through nine of the Île-de-France region’s districts.

At 24, Kiplangat switched to marathon three years ago with a victory on very steep terrain in Istanbul, Turkey. He won the Commonwealth title in Birmingham, England in 2022 before adding the title at the Budapest World Athletics Championships in Hungary.

He currently holds those two marathon titles and he is staring at a unique place in history as the only man to ever hold three titles including the Olympic crown should he triumph at the finish-line set at the historical Esplanade des Invalides.

“Victor is in excellent shape, and the tough course will help him,” Kiplangat’s coach Addy Ruiter told this paper this week. “A medal can be possible when the race is going well.”

Both Ruiter and Kiplangat visited the Olympics marathon course back in May after he had finished fourth at Grand Prix von Bern 10 Mile in Bern, Switzerland.

That race was also a wake-up call for him after he had finished a distant 15th place in a time of two hours and 7:44 minutes at the Tokyo Marathon in Japan on March 3.

Kiplangat has shared the same training program under Ruiter’s guise with Kissa, who holds the national record (NR) at 2:04:48 from second place at the 2022 Hamburg Marathon in Germany.

Kissa’s preparations were impacted by a hamstring problem about a month before the Olympics began. “The last few weeks, he was fit again. We will see Saturday how much it affects his shape,” said Ruiter.

In Budapest, Kissa fell down at a drinks point after about 32km and lost touch with the lead ending up with fifth place. Had it not been that, it could have been a medal.

Kissa on February 25 was second at the Osaka Marathon in Japan with a time of 2:06:22 and his last warm-up race in the same country produced eighth place in 1:03:07 via second place at the Gifu Half-Marathon on April 28.

Kwemoi meanwhile, did not complete the race in Budapest after 33km. But, the 23-year-old came third in 2:07:52 at the Milan Marathon in Italy on April 7.

The trio hasn’t been discussed quite much in the medal talk for this event which has seven key drinks points. But Kiplangat and company have a big chance to borrow from Stephen Kiprotich’s notes of the London 2012 Olympics.

Marathons at championships tend to be rather slow because of the conditions. Temperatures are expected to be low at 18 degrees Celcius and the field has legendary Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge as the favourite.

Whereas Kipchoge’s 10th placing in Tokyo back in March was a shadow of his prowess, the 37-year-old is looking to become the first man to win this race three times in a row.

Kipchoge’s career began at the Paris 2003 World Athletics Championships and he wants to end it in the same city. But he will face resistance from Ethiopians led by his familiar foe Kenenisa Bekele, 2023 Sevilla Marathon winner Deresa Geleta and 2022 world champion Tamirat Tola.

Netherlands’ Abdi Nageeye who pocketed Olympic silver at the Tokyo 2020 Games, other Kenyans Benson Kipruto, Timothy Kiplagat and Alexander Mutiso all boast of rich CVs.

Like it were at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 races, even Paris’ marathon will be determined by Kipchoge’s tempo over the route which has a 436m climb and 438m descent and parts of it around the Opera Garnier, Pyramide du Louvre and along the Seine River bank past the Eiffel Tower.

PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS - SELECTED RESULTS

MEN’S 200M SEMI FINAL HEAT 1

1 Kenneth Bednarek (USA)               20.00

2 Alexander Ogando (DOM)             20.09

3 Andre de Grasse (CAN)                  20.41

6 Tarsis Orogot (UGA)                       20.64

MEN’S 3000M STEEPLECHASE FINAL

1 Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR)            8:06.05

2 Kenneth Rooks (USA)                    8:06.41

3 Abraham Kibiwot (KEN)                8:06.47

15 Leonard Chemutai (UGA)             8:20.03

MEN’S 800M REPECHAGE HEAT 1

1 Kethobogile Haingura (BOT)          1:45.52

2 Slimane Moula (ALG)                     1:45.67

3 Corentin Le Clezio (FRA)               1:45.72

5 Tom Dradriga (UGA)                      1:46.15

TEAM UGANDA SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, AUG 9 - DAY 16

9.57pm: Sarah Chelangat, Annet Chemengich, Joy Cheptoyek (Women’s 10000m Final)

SATURDAY, AUG 10 - DAY 17

9am: Victor Kiplangat, Stephen Kissa & Andrew Kwemoi (Men’s Marathon Final)

8.50pm: Oscar Chelimo (Men’s 5000m Final)

SUNDAY, AUG 11 - DAY 18

9am: Mercyline Chelangat, Stella Chesang & Rebecca Chelangat (Women’s Marathon Final)

UGANDAN MALE MARATHONERS AT OLYMPICS

Tokyo 2020: Fred Musobo (44th, 2:18:39), Filex Chemonges (51st, 2:20:53), Stephen Kiprotich (DNF)

Rio 2016: Solomon Mutai (8th, 2:11:49), Stephen Kiprotich (14th, 2:13:32), Jackson Kiprop (79th, 2:22:09)

London 2012: Stephen Kiprotich (1st, 2:08:01)

Beijing 2008: Alex Malinga (31st, 2:18:26)  

Sydney 2000: Alex Malinga (57th, 2:24:53)

Barcelona 1992: Michael Lopeyok (82nd, 2:42:54)

Seoul 1988: Benjamin Longiros (62nd, 2:30:29), Vincent Ruguga (63rd, 2:31:04), Fred Ogwang (92nd, 2:59:35)

Los Angeles 1984: Vincent Ruguga (29th, 2:17:54), Wilson Achia (DNF)

Munich 1972: Fulgence Rwabu (59th, 2:57:04)

Mexico City 1968: Mustafa Musa (55th, 3:04:53)