Kenyan born Romanian Joan Chelimo reveals why she dropped out of Olympics marathon
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Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 13.08.24. | 07:30
Chelimo was representing Romania and was a medal prospect, owing to her previous records
Joan Chelimo's abrupt exit from the Paris Marathon at the 10 km mark was a shock to the world, but the reality was far more painful for the athlete herself.
Chelimo was representing Romania and was a medal prospect, owing to her previous records.
She revealed that the injury made it impossible for her to continue.
“These past days have been incredibly challenging. Several days ago, I began experiencing pain in the lower limb and ankle. After an MRI was done in Paris, we learned of significant edema in my right ankle, tendinosis of the plantaris tendon, and post-traumatic changes in the lateral collateral ligament," she disclosed.
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Despite the efforts of the Romanian medical team and specialists from Human Tecar, who did everything possible to manage the pain, a full recovery in such a short time was not feasible.
She was at pain trying to explain how seven years of preparation for the race went down the drain.
"It is difficult to accept that Paris was not meant to be for me,” she regretted.
Despite the setback, Chelimo remained optimistic about her future.
She expressed gratitude to those who have supported her throughout the difficult time.
"I am truly grateful to everyone who sent encouraging messages and especially to those who continue to support me through this tough journey," she added.
Chelimo has had an impressive season leading up to the Olympics.
She set the national record for Romania during the 10k Adizero Road to Records back in April before winning silver at the European Championships in June.
Chelimo is not new to marathons, having won the 2022 Seoul Marathon with a time of 2:18:04. That performance saw her break the national record previously held by Constantina Diţă since 2005.
She previously participated in many races locally and abroad, including in the United Kingdom, Spain, and Morocco.
Her records also include winning the Cardiff City half marathon in 2014 and the Berlin half marathon in 2016.
She was among the three Kenyan athletes who were granted Romanian citizenship back in 2021 to represent the country at the international level.
The rest were Stella Ruto and Delvine Meringor.
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