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Sharon Lokedi has admitted Obiri's unfortunate falls forced her into changing her tactics in the women's marathon at the Paris Olympics.
Sharon Lokedi has revealed how Hellen Obiri's unfortunate falls cost her a podium place for Kenya in the women's marathon of the just concluded Paris Olympic games on Sunday.
The 2022 New York City marathon expected the Kenyans to achieve a clean podium sweep but only Hellen Obiri managed to finish among the top three. Obiri fought hard for a third-place finish, crossing the finish line in a personal best time of 2:23:10.
Lokedi came in fourth, clocking a personal best time of 2:23:14 as Peres Jepchirchir finished 15th in a time of 2:26:51.
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The US-based Kenyan marathoner noted that she knew the medal was gone with about 200m to go when she was dropped from the leading pack.
Lokedi admited that deep down, she had her fingers crossed to have Obiri salvage Team Kenya and she sure did. She noted that the chasing pack was almost catching up with them.
She also disclosed that after Obiri fell two times, she was uncertain about how her fellow Kenyan would perform. “With about 200m to go, I got a bit worried about Kenya winning a medal and, in my mind, I wanted Hellen to go because I was also worried about the people coming from behind. I felt bad that she fell twice and there were a lot of us and the water station was very small and I hope she is okay,” Lokedi added.
“I’m happy that Obiri stuck with the pack all the way and got a medal for us and I’m also proud of Peres because we worked together. It’s not what we expected but we are still proud of what we did and I hope Kenyans are happy,” Lokedi said.
She expressed pride towards her performance, explaining that she had to put in the work to finish among the top five. Lokedi explained that she thought she would finish in the podium bracket but fate had other plans for her.
“Honestly, I’m very proud of it. I saw myself being in the top three, all the way through. I knew the last kilometers were going to be tough but I just wanted to fight as much as I could and be in the top group all the way to the end. I knew that I really had to work hard and stay in the top pack,” she said.
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15:13 - 10.08.2024
Why Hellen Obiri believes Paris Olympic gold will be pinnacle of her career
Hellen Obiri will be aiming for Olympic marathon gold in Paris, seeking to complete her illustrious career with the ultimate accolade.
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