Kelvin Kiptum cause of death confirmed as four arrested after athlete’s passing

22 February 2024 , 14:37

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Kelvin Kiptum and his coach Gervais Hakizimana died in a fatal crash earlier this month (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Kelvin Kiptum's cause of death has been confirmed after the marathon world record holder died in a road crash earlier this month with his coach, Gervais Hakizimana.

Kiptum's father Samson Cheruiyot publicly called for an investigation into his son's death, claiming four strangers had visited him shortly before the crash, and local reports claim that police in Kenya's Keiyo South have since arrested the people in question.

"There are people who came home a while back who were looking for Kiptum but they refused to identify themselves," Cheruiyot told Citizen TV. "I asked them to provide identification, but they opted to leave. It was a group of four people."

The car Kiptum and Hakizimana were driving was recovered by police and transported to Eldoret for further examination, while autopsies were carried out on the pair's bodies. And according toMARCA, Kenyan pathologist Johansen Oduor has revealed the athlete suffered "serious skull fractures" as well as injuries to his lungs and ribs.

Oduor is quoted as saying: "The deceased Kelvin suffered serious head injuries. There were serious skull fractures that occurred mainly at the base of the skull. There were also injuries to the lungs.

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"What really caused Kelvin's death were severe head injuries that, when I look at them, look more like they were caused by a car accident." Oduor added that Kiptum also had "some fractures in the ribs on both sides".

He also said that samples had been taken for further analysis while the investigation into his death continues, explaining: "The samples... will undergo a complete toxicological analysis so that we can see if there was anything that could have contributed to his death."

Kiptum is the marathon world record holder (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Philip Kiplagat, a spokesperson for Kiptum's family, said: "We are satisfied with the results [of the autopsy]. I witnessed the entire process. We are now waiting for the samples that they said will be taken for analysis."

Cheruiyot added: "I got the news of my son's death while I was watching the news. I went to the scene of the accident but the police had taken the body to Eldoret. Kiptum was my only child. If he was alive, we would have great opportunities ahead.

"At our age, we don't have any help and he has left children. He said that his body is now fit, and he can now run for 1:59. Kiptum was my only child. He has left me, his mum, and his kids. I have no other child. His mum was sick for a while. Right now I'm deeply saddened."

Matthew Cooper