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Why the Netherlands’ Nageeye helped Belgian Abdi to the podium: ‘The Pinnacle of Friendship’

4 min read

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Why the Netherlands’ Nageeye helped Belgian Abdi to the podium: ‘The Pinnacle of Friendship’
Source: Facebook/AllThingsSomali

With under a kilometre of the 42km marathon to go, the Somali-born training partners were battling Lawrence Cherono for the final two medal spots after the Kenyan’s team mate Eliud Kipchoge had secured gold.

Friendship first as Nageeye encourages Abdi over marathon finish line

The images are already viral. Three exhausted men sprinting for the podium in the Olympic marathon. One is clearly the strongest. But instead of going straight for his target, he constantly looks back at his pursuers. He waves his hand. “Come on! Come along! Come to the podium!”

Behind the phenomenal defending champion, Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, the Netherlands’ Abdi Nageeye followed in the footsteps of Gerard Nijboer (second in 1980 in Moscow) by sprinting to silver in the Olympic marathon. And to his delight, his Belgian bosom buddy Bashir Abdi fought his way to bronze despite hamstring complaints. — NOS

“I was hoping to get a medal with Bashir,” said Nageeye. “I saw that Bashir was having a hard time and kept encouraging him. ‘Come to me, come to me,’ I shouted. When he was with me, I let him chase me. That’s how he beat Cherono with a cramp. I’m so happy for him.” Source: Facebook/AllThingsSomali

“They wanted this for each other,”

Nageeye and Abdi are both of Somali descent and came to Europe at a young age to start a new life. Nageeye went to the Netherlands and Abdi ended up in Belgium. Both now have families. The pair have known each other since 2008, train together and travel the world together.

Fellow marathon runner, Netherlands’ Frank Futselaar spoke more about the bond between Nageeye and Abdi in the NOS studio. "That friendship has done so much for their motivation to achieve this," said Futselaar. "They wanted this for each other. That energy that comes up in the last 200 meters is also due to all the heavy training sessions they did together. That you can share this with your best friend is unprecedented."

It was a special marathon for athlete manager Jos Hermens. In addition to Nageeye and Abdi, winner Eliud Kipchoge also belongs to his management stable Global Sports Communication. "Unbelievable, what a race", Hermens said on NPO Radio 1.

For Hermens, the performance of 32-year-old Nageeye, holder of the Dutch record (2.06.17), was the most surprising. "Magic how he finished it between the world top", said Hermens. "He was eleventh in Rio, but silver is too bizarre for words. I am very proud of him. Second behind the greatest marathon runner in the world."

The fact that Nageeye also guided friend Abdi to the bronze, completed the fairy tale for Hermens. "The pinnacle of friendship. If he hadn’t brought Bashir, they couldn’t have beaten that Kenyan boy. Very nice." 

Translated from Dutch, based from an article first published in NOS (Nederlandse Omroep Stichting)

Source: NOS.nl 

Abdi Nageeye put friendship first to urge his struggling training partner Bashir Abdi ahead of their Kenyan rival in a final sprint for the line.
Locked in a three-way race for silver and bronze in the Olympic men’s marathon on Sunday. Abdi Nageeye put friendship first to urge his struggling training partner Bashir Abdi ahead of their Kenyan rival in a final sprint for the line. Source: Facebook/AllThingsSomali
Nageeye, who was slightly ahead, slowed down and waved on his friend, the encouragement appearing to do the trick as Abdi overcame both cramp and Cherono to take bronze.
With less than a kilometre of the 42km race to go, they were battling Lawrence Cherono for the final two medal spots after Cherono’s Kenyan team mate Eliud Kipchoge had secured gold. Nageeye, who was slightly ahead, slowed down and waved on his friend, the encouragement appearing to do the trick as Abdi overcame both cramp and Cherono to take bronze. Source: Facebook/EuropeanAthletics
“So I was trying to help him and he had a cramp. And then I still waited for him and when he came next to me I thought, OK, now I want to make sure.mAnd then I sprinted away and was just still looking around - actually it was dangerous to look so many times,” he said with a laugh.
“In the last 800 metres I wanted to go, but I thought about Bashir and I was like, let him come close,” Nageeye said. “So I was trying to help him and he had a cramp. And then I still waited for him and when he came next to me I thought, OK, now I want to make sure.mAnd then I sprinted away and was just still looking around – actually it was dangerous to look so many times,” he said with a laugh. Source: Facebook/EuropeanAthletics
“He said ‘you must go.’ If he was not there today, it would have been a difficult last 3km. In training one of us is always a little better than the other in different training sessions. We encourage each other. It’s what team mates do,” Abdi said.
Abdi said he had a cramp in his right hamstring during the last 3km and might not have been able to do it without his friend. “He said ‘you must go.’ If he was not there today, it would have been a difficult last 3km. In training one of us is always a little better than the other in different training sessions. We encourage each other. It’s what team mates do,” Abdi said. Source: Facebook/EuropeanAthletics
Bashir Abdi took bronze in the marathon despite hamstring trouble, thanks to encouragement from his friend.
“I am really happy he finished in second place, and I’m really happy with the bronze.” Bashir Abdi took bronze in the marathon despite hamstring trouble, thanks to encouragement from his friend. Source: Facebook/TeamBelgium
Eliud Kipchoge’s winning margin of 1:20 was the biggest since Frank Shorter’s win in the 1972 Munich Games. “I think I have fulfilled the legacy by winning the marathon for the second time, back-to-back. I hope now to help inspire the next generation.” Source: Facebook/WorldAthletics
“Walaal soo caraar. We can do this together.” Abdi Nageeye said to Bashir Abdi. Somali-born runners Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands and Bashir Abdi of Belgium won ?and? in the marathon at the 2020 #TokyoOlympic marathon!! INCREDIBLE!!! Source: Facebook/AllThingsSomali
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