“My next goal is Paris 2024 and I put all my energy into it”
BARCELONA, 28 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Kenyan athlete Eliud Kipchoge has assured that he has all his energy focused on the marathon of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in which he will seek his third gold medal, confident that he can still beat the generations behind him, although He is cautious about his future, in which he could do ultramarathons.
“I’m still running and pushing and I trust that I will beat the next generation,” he said in a talk with media outlets including Europa Press, after achieving his fifth consecutive victory in the Berlin marathon.
However, at 38 years old, he recognizes that one day he will have to step aside and retire. “But I know that the day will come when I will have to stop running. But I will not stay on the sidelines of the sport, I will always be able to advise young people on how to run and last long in our sport,” she was sincere.
At the moment he is clear that, with the desire he still has to run, his next goal is none other than to run in Paris next year, in the Olympic Games. “And then I don’t know, I always go to a call, and that call is Paris,” he added.
“I have been preparing for the Olympic Games for a long time. And for now, the marathon record is not on my mind. So I am putting all my energy into the Paris Games,” reiterated the Kenyan, who is pursuing his third Olympic gold after those of Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
Of course, he does not want external pressures. “The pressure is really huge, but I think it’s in a positive way. I’m trying to stay calm. I may have the most pressure of anyone, but I’m going to work hard to make sure I reduce it,” he said.
And, asked if he considers doing ultra distance, he assured that he does and that it is a challenge for the “near future.” “I want to try and run for that time, 80 kilometers, enjoy running for a long time and feel what people have been feeling. It’s good to change and see what happens,” he was sincere.
On the other hand, the Kenyan was “excited” to receive, in just a month, the 2023 Princess of Asturias Sports Award. “It means a lot to me, especially if you see the people who have been winners, like Nelson Mandela and other people who have been doing very good things for humanity,” he said.
“I get the award for sport, for good performance in sport. So it is an important award and I am waiting to collect it and have it, I am excited,” acknowledged the two-time Olympic champion and world champion.
“When I found out, I needed the strength to overcome the fatigue (after a race). When I received the news, I can say that it was a surprise. I didn’t know that one day I would be awarded the Princess of Asturias Award. Then, after two or three days , I internalized it and now I am looking forward to receiving the award next month,” he reiterated.
Furthermore, his arrival in Oviedo to collect the prize could allow him to train in Spain for a few days and, who knows, be left wanting to do a national marathon. “I think Spain is a good country and there are many very fast races in Spain. But first I have to get to Asturias and then plan,” he said.
