BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 15: Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia poses with the trophy after winning the professional Men's Division during the 128th Boston Marathon on April 15, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Rutherford/Getty Images)

Boston Marathon champ Sisay Lemma eyes Paris Olympics

On Apr 17, 2024 72

Addis Ababa, April 17, 2024 (FBC) – The 2024 Boston Marathon Sisay Lemma champion says he expects to be on the roster for the Paris Games when Ethiopian officials make their decisions in the coming weeks. Even before his Boston win, Sisay already had good credentials with a course-record 2 hours, 1 minute, 48 seconds in Valencia last year that was the fourth-fastest ever run in a competitive marathon.

“Because of the fast race I ran in Valencia, the time that I got the fastest time, and also the marathon that I won here, right now from all the Ethiopian athletes I’m the fastest,” Lemma said on Tuesday, a day after winning in Boston. “So I’m confident I am the one who is going to be selected.”

Sisay blistered the Boston course with a 1:00:19 first half, opening a lead of almost three-quarters of a mile with six miles to go, FOX News’ report recalled. He slowed over the final stretch and finished in 2:06:17 but still beat fellow Ethiopian Mohamed Esa by 41 seconds — the length of more than two football fields.

Sisay said he wanted to redeem himself after finishing 30th and dropping out in two previous Boston attempts. The Olympics are next on his redemption tour; he also dropped out of the race at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

“When I ran in Tokyo, the Ethiopian people were expecting a gold medal, and a good result. But we were not able to do it because there was so much heat,” Sisay said. “But now in Paris and we try, we will try to redeem that again and, you know, win the gold for Ethiopia.”