South African-American Comedian Trevor Noah on Thursday, October 17, came to the defence of athletics legend Eliud Kipchoge following accusations from a reporter that Kipchoge had cheated in the Ineos Challenge.
The American reporter identified as Darrel Rovell had insisted that Kipchoge's historic run was largely possible due to the choice of shoes, and not his strength or determination as he had stated.
“When a shoe company puts multiple carbon plates in a shoe with a cushion between the plates, it is no longer a shoe. It’s a spring and a clear mechanical advantage,” he had written on his Twitter page after the challenge on October 12.
Despite the flood of comments and castigations that had followed the reporter's disparaging remarks, he had stood his ground, stating that the extent that the Ineos team had gone was aimed at helping manufacture a synthetic marathon record.
"The difference between next age tech and cheating. These are great for non-pros. He wouldn’t be able to wear this in a legit race," he insisted.
Noah, hosting the Daily Show, dared the reporter to get himself the shoes and attempt the run if he believed that it was indeed what had given Kipchoge the advantage.
"You know what, Why don't you go get those shoes and show us how fast you are going to run the race? Go get the shoes!" he dared, much to a raucous applause from the audience.
Trevor Noah made it clear that he had been impressed by Kipchoge's run, claiming that Kipchoge made it seem effortless from the start to the finish.
"He kept running even after the race, unlike many other athletes we have seen. At the end, he looked like he had just warmed up and wanted to start the real race," he quipped.
He joked that it was not the shoes that had helped Kipchoge win the race, but that Kipchoge was the one who had helped the shoes to carry through to the finish line.
