Three men have been arrested in Kenya in connection with the death of athlete Kelvin Kiptum, who died in a car accident this Sunday. Kenyan police confirmed to local media on Wednesday the arrest in the town of Kaptagat in Elgeyo Marakwet county, where the marathon world record holder was born, and the transfer of the suspects to the town of Itit, 50 kilometers away.
More information
The investigators want to find out why these people visited the athlete four days before the fatal accident. Kiptum's father, Samson Cheruiyot, had asked on Monday to investigate the visit to Kiptum's house of four people he had seen himself but “who refused to be identified.”
Kiptum, just 24 years old and with an impressive world marathon record set on October 8th in Chicago (2 hours, 0 minutes and 35 seconds), drove the car that left the road and hit a tree in Eldoret-Kaptagat on Sunday evening hit the highway. in the Rift Valley. His coach, Rwandan Garvais Hakizimana, also died along with Kiptum. A woman who accompanied them in the vehicle was seriously injured, according to Kenyan newspapers.
The death of the great athletics star shocked Kenya. President William Ruto released on Monday on the social network (formerly Twitter): “Kelvin Kiptum was a star (…) At just 24 years old, he triumphed like a hero in Valencia, Chicago, London and other high-profile competitions. His mental strength and discipline were unmatched. Kiptum was our future.”
The African country's sports minister, Ababu Namwamba, has already visited Kiptum's relatives in the Eldoret area and promised them that Kenya would give the record holder “a national hero's farewell.” The date of Kiptum's funeral has not yet been officially announced, but the family has told some journalists that the young athlete will be buried on February 24 in the town of Kaptagat. Athletics Kenya, the Kenyan athletics federation, has canceled trials for the Pan African Games scheduled for this weekend in a mark of mourning.
Kelvin Kiptum had a short but brilliant sports career. He only ran three marathons and left his mark in all three. He debuted in Valencia in December 2022, with the fastest time in the history of a debutant (2 hours, 01 minutes and 53 seconds). In 2023, he won first in London with 2:01:25 hours and then in Chicago, where he was just one step (just 35 seconds) away from the seemingly impossible: getting under two hours in the 42-kilometer test. And the day before, he admitted he was unable to train particularly well due to a groin injury and difficulty running on muddy terrain during a heavy rainy season in Kenya. “I didn't plan on breaking the record here in Chicago, but I knew I would do it one day,” he said happily after leaving the world with his mouth agape.
Kiptum's father, a farmer, has claimed that the boy inherited his love of athletics from his mother, who competed in high school. “The best explanation for his time is his desire to escape hunger and misery and a physiological performance increased by living at altitude,” summarized his trainer Garvais Hakizimana a few months ago, who also died in the tragic accident on Sunday came. Another sentence from the runner's father is noticeable in the Kenyan media these days: “I hoped he would take us to the top.”
You can follow EL PAÍS Deportes on Facebook and Xor sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.