Several athletes could shut their season business after the Tokyo Olympics but Jacob Kiplimo isn’t done yet in 2021.
The youngster continued to perform by winning the Lisbon Half-Marathon in Portugal with a world record (WR) on Sunday.
The Ugandan long-distance ace powered to a magnificent race after the elite pack very early to clock 57 minutes and 31 seconds.
“I want to say thanks to everyone who has supported me and cheered me,” said Kiplimo upon winning the race.
The 21-year-old became the third man from Uganda to hold an athletics world record after Olympic champions John Akii-Bua and Joshua Cheptegei.
The time erased the previous WR mark set by Kenyan Kandie Kibiwott of 57:32 by a second in Valencia, Spain on December 6, 2020. In Valencia, Kiplimo came second behind Kibiwott in a time of 57:37
“To me, this is the thing that I have been looking for. Remember last year when we were in Valencia, I missed the WR by a few seconds.
“I knew I was going to break it. My training for the last two weeks was perfect,” he added.
In the Portuguese capital, Kiplimo won by more than two minutes. He peeled away by the fifth kilometre before posting 27:05 at 10km.
He had a lead of about a minute there and by posting 40:27 after 15km, he was well within the time to break Kibiwott’s time.
The victory now marks a perfect year in Kiplimo’s senior career. The biggest highlight of his year was a 10000m bronze medal won at the Tokyo Olympics.
LISBON HALF-MARATHON
MEN’S RESULTS
1 Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) 57:31
2 Huseydin Mohamed Esa (ETH) 59:39
3 Gerba Beyata Dibaba (ETH) 59:39
KIPLIMO’S WR TIME SPLITS
5K - 13:50
10K - 27:05
15K - 40:27
21K - 57:31
21KM WR PROGRESSION
59:17 Paul Tergat (KEN) Milan 1998
59:16 Samuel Wanjiru (KEN) Rotterdam 2005
58:55 Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) Tempe 2006
58:33 Samuel Wanjiru (KEN) The Hague 2007
58:23 Zersenay Tadese (ERI) Lisbon 2010
58:01 Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN) Copenhagen 2019
57:32 Kibiwott Kandie (KEN) Valencia 2020
57:31 Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) Lisbon 2021
KIPLIMO AT A GLANCE
Date of birth: November 14, 2000
Major events: 5000m, 10000m, 21km
Coach: Iacorpo Brasi
Personal Bests: 12:48.63 (5000m), 26:33.93 (10000m), 57:31 (21km)
Manager: Federico Rosa
Management: Rosa Associati
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This writer is a global broadcaster and as well, a scribe with Daily Monitor Newspaper and sports presenter with Radio One FM 90 in Kampala. Follow him on Twitter: @AllanDarren and his Facebook Page: Darren Allan Kyeyune