In 1 moment, helium was soaking up perchance the astir breathtaking acquisition of his life, fist-pumping the top marathon runner of each time, Kenyan fable Eliud Kipchoge.
Twenty-two minutes later, helium would clang to possibly the astir devastating debased of his life, collapsing connected the streets of Sapporo successful temperatures nearing 30 degrees arsenic the humidity soared supra 70 per cent during the men's Olympic marathon.
Pictures of Brazilian Daniel Do Nascimento fist-pumping Kipchoge had captured the hearts and imaginations of the athletics world, arsenic the 2 athletes recovered a infinitesimal for a laughter amid the toil.
Galen Rupp of the USA, who took bronze successful the 2016 Olympic marathon, was among those appreciative of the priceless moment, grinning arsenic helium sat straight down his 2 rivals astir 18km into the 42.195km run.
Do Nascimento, 23 and competing successful conscionable his 2nd marathon connected Olympic debut, had shared a infinitesimal with the antheral who conscionable implicit an hr aboriginal would clinch back-to-back Olympic marathon gold.
If determination was immoderate uncertainty arsenic to who was the top marathon runner of each clip arsenic Kipchoge joined 105 different men connected the commencement line, that uncertainty was obliterated arsenic the 36-year-old stormed to triumph successful a clip of 2:08.38.
As Kipchoge broke distant from the pb battalion astir 30.5km in, clocked an exceptional 14:28 for his 5km divided betwixt 30 and 35km, and appeared to cruise location effortlessly contempt the oppressive conditions, helium became conscionable the 3rd antheral ever to triumph consecutive Olympic marathon golden medals.
Ethiopia's Abebe Bikila achieved the feat astatine Rome successful 1960 and Tokyo successful 1964, which was followed by German Waldemar Cierpinski matching the feat successful Montreal successful 1976 and Moscow successful 1980.
But Kipchoge's heroics widen good beyond his golden successful Rio successful 2016 and Tokyo successful 2021.
He's the satellite grounds holder of the marathon, having posted 2:01.39 successful Berlin successful 2018 arsenic helium shattered the benchmark held by compatriot Dennis Kimetto, 2:02.57.
He's besides won 14 of the 17 World Athletics-recognised marathons successful which he's competed, opening with a victorious 2:05.30 successful Hamberg successful 2013.
But possibly the top accomplishment of Kipchoge's vocation yet saw him go the archetypal antheral successful past to interruption the two-hour obstruction successful a marathon.
A big of strategies successful spot for his 2019 tally successful Vienna, which included a rotating excavation of pacemakers pursuing lasers beaming from a car, meant his clip of 1:59.40 wasn't official.
But helium had nevertheless proven that conquering the obstruction which, on with the sub-10-second 100m and sub-four-minute mile had agelong been the equal-most celebrated benchmark successful running, could beryllium conquered.
The formed of 42 pacesetters, which included Australians Stewart McSweyn, Brett Robinson, Patrick Tiernan and Jack Rayner, were successful awe of Kipchoge arsenic helium streaked distant from his helpers to marque past implicit the last 500m.
It was an jock of that hallowed people who Do Nascimento fist-pumped astir 18km into the Tokyo Olympics marathon.
But the youngster's satellite was tipped upside down arsenic helium began to stagger astir 25km in, losing his equilibrium and collapsing successful a gutter successful conditions that saw 30 of the 106 entrants neglect to finish.
Extraordinarily, the South American managed to prime himself up and resume the run, adjacent returning to a precocious cadence and perfectly balanced action.
But helium wouldn't past 2 minutes, collapsing again and curling into a fetal presumption successful a gutter.
It indispensable beryllium noted that Do Nascimento, contempt the information helium lone competed successful his archetypal marathon successful May this year, is nary slouch.
He recorded 2:09.05 connected debut.
To enactment that into perspective, lone 5 Australians – Derek Clayton, Rob de Castella, Steve Moneghetti, Pat Carroll and Robinson – person cracked the 2:10 barrier.
Yet Do Nascimento buckled, succumbing successful conditions that had adjacent led to Kipchoge drafting a scary examination up of the race.
"All of us," Kipchoge said, "will beryllium successful the aforesaid frying pan."
For Do Nascimento it was scorched earth, arsenic helium experienced an unthinkable precocious and a devastating debased successful the abstraction of 22 minutes helium volition ne'er forget.
English (US) ·