Nairobi — Marathon Great Eliud Kipchoge has been named the best male athlete of Tokyo 2020 at the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) Awards 2021 held in Greece for defending Olympic Games gold.
Kipchoge, the World Marathon Record Holder wrote history in Tokyo in August by becoming only the third man to win back-to-back Olympics Marathon gold after Ethiopia’s Abebe Bikila and Germany’s Waldemar Cierpinski.
In receiving the award at the ceremony that was attended by the International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, Kenya’s National Olympic Committee of Kenya boss Paul Tergat and Ag. Secretary General Francis Mutuku, Kipchoge described marathon means life to him.
“When you win two Olympic gold medals back-to-back, its making history because only three people have done it, I’m happy to have done that in the year 2020 in the Tokyo Olympic Games,” Kipchoge said.
He added, “The Tokyo 2020 Games was important Olympics ever because it brought hope to the whole world after the Covid-19 crashed the whole world. I enjoyed the track and field for 10 years and it is good I made a huge transfer to the road and make a huge mark and inspire the whole world to love the sport and spread positivity.”
Kipchoge was awarded by the president of Association of National Olympics Committee of Africa Mustapha Berraf at the Open Air Theatre of the Creta Maris Beach Hotel, in Greece.
The awards were organized by ANOC to celebrate the achievements of athletes at the Tokyo Games.
-Winners-
Best Male Athlete of Tokyo 2020 – Eliud Kipchoge
Best Female Athlete of Tokyo 2020 – Canadian Maggie Mac Neil
Outstanding Athlete Performance – Cuban Mijain Lopez
Best Male Team at Tokyo 2020 – Japan National Baseball Team
Best FemalTeam at Tokyo 2020 – New Zealand Rugby Team
Best Male Multiple Athlete Event of Tokyo 2020 – Italy Cycling Track Pursuit Team
Best Female Multiple Athlete Event of Tokyo 2020 – Estonia Fencing Epee Team