Eliud Kipchoge Breaks Down In Tears As He Speaks About Being Linked To Kelvin Kiptum's Death

• Veteran marathoner Eliud Kipchoge has, for the first time, spoken about how the death of his colleague, Kelvin Kiptum, affected his life
• In an emotional interview, Kipchoge recounted how he received death threats after being falsely linked to Kiptum's death
• The two-time Olympic gold medalist claimed the death threats from social media users instilled a lot of fear in him

Amos Khaemba, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge has opened up about how online abuses linking him to the death of the marathon record-holder Kelvin Kiptum affected him.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Kipchoge said the negative stories on social media made him fear for the lives of his family and close friends.

Eliud Kipchoge speaks about Kelvin Kiptum's death

During the interview, Kipchoge was overwhelmed by emotions; at one point, he broke down in tears as he narrated how he shared the false accusation with his mother

"My worst moment was when I tried to call my mum. She told me 'Just take care' and 'a lot has been going on," Kipchoge painfully recalled.

The veteran marathoner painfully recounted receiving several messages, including threats targeting his family and even his career.

"I was shocked that people on social media platforms are saying 'Eliud is involved in the death of this boy. That was the worst news ever in my life.

I received a lot of bad things; that they will burn the training camp, they will burn my investments in town, they will burn my house, they will burn my family," Kipchoge added.

What police said about Kiptum's accident

On Tuesday, February 13, police from Elgeyo Marakwet county affirmed that the marathon record holder died as a result of a traffic accident amid questions over what transpired.

Speaking to Citizen TV, Keiyo South OCPD Abdullahi Dahir said a review of the wreckage of the Toyota Premio that Kiptum was driving showed that the front part was intact and the airbags did not deploy.

Speaking at the accident scene, Abdullahi pointed out that the airbags did not deploy because the impact was not on the bonnet/bumper.

What you need to know about Kelvin Kiptum's death

• Detectives from DCI visited three restaurants within Eldoret, where Kelvin Kiptum visited on the day he had an accident.
• DCI recovered CCTV footage showing the last moments of the late world marathon record-holder
• Kiptum's father, Samsom Cheruiyot, called for investigations, claiming four unknown people visited his home a few days before Kiptum's death.

Proofreading by Asher Omondi, current affairs journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.