Wilson Kipketer
.jpg) Kipketer in 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 12 December 1972[1] Kapchemoiywo, Nandi County, Kenya[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 63 kg (139 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Denmark | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Track and field | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| Updated on 9 February 2014. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wilson Kosgei Kipketer (born 12 December 1972) is a
Kipketer represented both
Biography
Kipketer was born in Kapchemoiywo, Kenya, into the Nandi tribe.
As a teenager, he was first noticed by
In 1990, Kipketer travelled to
However, Kipketer was not a full Danish citizen, and in 1996 the
In 1997 Kipketer was at the peak of his career. In March he won the 800 m gold at the
The following season, Kipketer contracted malaria and at first intended not to race at all. Eventually, he participated in three meets, winning in Monaco and running a swift 1:43.18 in Zürich. At the European Championships in Budapest but made physical contact with the eventual winner Nils Schumann on the final straight and did not win a medal. He came back in 1999 by finishing second at the Indoor World Championships and bettering that with a gold medal at the 1999 World Championship in Seville, Spain. As in 1997, Kipketer was undefeated in 1999, winning all 10 outdoor races and finishing the year ranked number one in the world in the 800m by Track & Field News magazine.
In 2000, he broke the world indoor record in the
In 2002, Kipketer won the gold medal at the European Championships in Munich, defeating the reigning world champion, André Bucher and 2000 Olympic champion, Nils Schumann. He also won 8 of the 9 races he contested, had the fastest 800-metre time in the world (1:42.32), and ranked number one in the world for 800 metres for a record sixth time (one more than Mal Whitfield).
Despite fighting
In the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece Kipketer had the lead with 80 meters left in the 800 metres final but was passed with 20 meters left by Yuriy Borzakovskiy and Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, Kipketer taking the bronze medal. At 31 years of age he was still running fast times (breaking 1:44 on three occasions) but no longer had the dominant finish he once possessed, winning only one of the six races he contested, and did not race again after 2004. He ended his career with a remarkable record of fast 800 meter times: except for 2001, he ran 1:43 or better every year from 1994 to 2004. His ten years of sub-1:44 800 meter times is unmatched by any other athlete.
During 11 years his coach was Sławomir Nowak (Poland).
He announced his retirement from competitive athletics in August 2005.
Post-running career
He married his Danish girlfriend Pernille in 2000 (also a long-distance athlete).[3]
Kipketer owns property in Monaco, Copenhagen, and Eldoret (Kenya). Kipketer has a son born in 2004.[4]
Despite gaining Danish citizenship, Kipketer resides in Monaco. A 1999 article by Associated Press documents that his choice of residence was made for tax reasons.[5]
Kipketer is today a member of the 'Champions for Peace', a group of more than 70 famous elite athletes committed to serving peace in the world through sport, created by Peace and Sport, a Monaco-based international organization.[6]
Personal bests
| Event | Time | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
400 m
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46.85 | 1994 | |
800 m
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1:41.11 | 24 August 1997 | Cologne, Germany |
800 m
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1:42.67 (indoor) | February 1997 | Paris, France |
1000 m
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2:14.96 (indoor)[7] | 20 February 2000 | Birmingham, United Kingdom |
1500 m
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3:42.80 | 1993 | |
| Mile | 3:59.57 | 5 July 1993 | Stockholm, Sweden |
See also
References
- International Association of Athletics Federations. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- ^ "Wilson Kipketer: The African Viking". abc.net.au. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 24 February 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
- ^ Dickson, Sue (May 2007). "Chatting to Wilson Kipketer" (PDF). VOB Running Club. p. 33. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
- ^ "Google Übersetzer". Translate.google.de (in German). Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- ^ Wade, Stephen (23 August 1999). "Runner Bounces Back From Sickness". Associated Press. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
- ^ "Peace and Sport, L'Organisation pour la paix par le sport". Peace-sport.org. 1 September 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- ^ "Wilson Kipketer | Profile". Iaaf.org. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
External links
- Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Wilson Kipketer". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020.
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World Indoor Champions in men's 800 metres | |
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European Athletics Championships champions in men's 800 metres | |
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