Marathon world document holder Kelvin Kiptum was a “particular expertise” who would gone on to have an “unimaginable profession”, says Sir Mo Farah.
Kiptum, 24, died in a car crash alongside his coach Gervais Hakizimana in his native Kenya on Sunday.
He broke Eliud Kipchoge’s world document final 12 months and was set to compete at this summer season’s Olympics in Paris.
“Kelvin was an amazingly gifted athlete and had already achieved a lot,” Briton Farah mentioned.
Farah, Britain’s four-time Olympic champion over 5,000 and 10,000m, completed ninth in final 12 months’s London Marathon – a race Kiptum gained in a document time of two hours, one minute and 25 seconds.
“He really had a particular expertise and I’ve little doubt he would have gone on to have had an unimaginable profession,” Farah mentioned.
“I ship all my sympathies and condolences to his and Gervais’ household and associates at this tragic time.”
Kiptum additionally broke the document for quickest debut marathon in Valencia in 2022 earlier than bettering Eliud Kipchoge’s total document in Chicago in October final 12 months, clocking the 26.2 miles (42km) in two hours and 35 seconds.
Just final week, his group introduced that he would try and turn into the primary particular person to run the space in lower than two hours in open competitors.
Britain’s Emile Cairess, who completed sixth in London final 12 months behind Kiptum, mentioned the Kenyan might have turn into “Usain Bolt-esque” as a “figurehead of athletics”.
“It’s a large blow as a result of at his degree, somebody can actually seize the eye of individuals exterior off the game,” Cairess instructed the BBC.
“Many folks thought they’d by no means see a sub two-hour marathon of their lifetimes however since he got here alongside, it is prefer it was simply a provided that he would do it due to his distinctive performances to date.
“It was nearly sure that he would have accomplished it. It’s terribly unhappy and a actual disgrace that we cannot get to see him once more or to assault that barrier.”
