Ethiopian runner Tamirat Tola won the men’s marathon at the Paris Olympics 2024, ending Kenya’s dominance of the race.
Tamirat Tola set an Olympic record time of 2 hours, 6 minutes, and 26 seconds. He finished 21 seconds ahead of Belgium’s Bashir Abdi, who took silver. Kenya’s Benson Kipruto won bronze, trailing Tola by 34 seconds.
As he neared the finish, the 32-year-old Tola looked back but was far ahead, giving him the opportunity to relish the cheers from the crowd. Remarkably, he was a last-minute addition to the marathon team, stepping in for his injured teammate Sisay Lemma just two weeks before the race.
Moreover, Tamirat Tola said that “I was the reserve in the Ethiopian team, but when Sisay had injuries, then I had a chance. I was fully prepared and knew I could fulfil my dream. I am very proud, very happy.”
This victory marks Tola’s second Olympic medal. He had previously won a medal in the 10,000 meters at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
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