‘I DON’T TRUST ANYONE’ ELIUD KIPCHOGE ON HOW TROLLING AFFECTED HIM

Kenyan olympic champion, Eliud Kipchoge, has shared the impact of social media harassment had on his family and athletic performance.

In a recent interview with BBC Sport, he described how he was accused of Kelvin Kiptum’s tragic death. “The accusations online brought unnecessary fear to my family. It’s something no one should experience. I had to ensure the safety of my children; their well-being is my priority,” he added.

These trolls affected Kipchoge’s mental health, contributing to his 10th place finish at the Tokyo Marathon. “It was really painful for me to learn even from my own people, my training mates, those who I have contact with, and the bad words coming from them,I learned that friendship cannot be forever. I think it’s unfortunate that it happened when I’m celebrating over 20 years in sport. What happened has made me not trust anybody. Even my own shadow, I will not trust.“ he added.

Kipchoge believes social media companies are not doing much to stop abuse on their platforms. “These faceless people are posting bad things and are really dangerous. If you report some accounts then it takes time for them to delete those accounts. They should act fast, get the facts, delete accounts. People should know that if you say something which is not good then your account will be deleted,” he said.