 Jepkosgei at the 2010 Memorial Van Damme. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth name | Janeth Jepkosgei Busienei | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality |  Kenya | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 13 December 1983 Kabirirsang, Kenya | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Track and field | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event | 800 metres | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Janeth Jepkosgei Busienei (born 13 December 1983) is a Kenyan middle distance runner and former world champion.
Janeth, nicknamed "Eldoret Express" is from the Kenyan village of Kabirirsang, near Kapsabet. Famous athletes Wilson Kipketer and Wilfred Bungei are also from the same village. [1] She started athletics while at Kapsumbeiywo Primary School and took several events. Since 1998 she attended Sing'ore Girls High School near Iten, famous for producing Kenyan women athletes. She won national secondary school championship in heptathlon, while still at form one. [2] Her record from that event still stood in 2012. [2] Her speciality at the time was actually 400 m hurdles. She attended the Kenyan trials for 1999 World Youth Championships, but as 400 m hurdles was not competed at the trials, she opted to take part in 800 m. [2] She finished second and was selected for the Kenyan team, but failed to reach the final of 800 m competition in World Youth Championships held in Bydgoszcz, Poland. [3]
In 2000 Jepkosgei won two gold medals at national secondary school championships, the events were 400 m hurdles and 800 m. At the East Africa Youth Championships held in the same year she won 400 m hurdles, while at 800 m she finished second. [2]
She joined IOC-sponsored High Performance Training Centre in Eldoret in 2001. She was then coached by 1988 olympic gold medalist Paul Ereng. [4] The same year, she took 800 m silver medal at the African Junior Championships, and the next year she took 800 m gold medal at the World Junior Championships in Kingston, Jamaica. [3]
Janeth Jepkosgei took part at the 2003 All-Africa Games, but failed to reach the 800 m final. In 2004, she won Kenyan Olympic trials at 800 m, but was not selected since she failed to beat qualifying time. The history repeated itself in 2005, when she won 800 m at national trials, but did not secure an "A"-qualifying time. She did beat the "B"-qualifying time, but Athletics Kenya did not send her or any other Kenyan 800 m female runner to represent Kenya at the world championships. [3]
Her breakthrough year was 2006. On 24 March 2006 she won the women's 800 m event at the 2006 Commonwealth Games with a time of 1 minute, 57.88 seconds. She managed to beat veteran runner Maria de Lurdes Mutola of Mozambique. Later that same year she won African Championships in Athletics at the 800 m event. She also broke the Kenyan 800 m women's record twice. Jepkosgei was awarded the 2006 Kenyan Sportswoman of the Year award. [5]
Jepkosgei made Kenyan History on 28 August 2007, where she won gold in the World Championship 800 m final in Osaka, becoming the first female Kenyan middle distance runner to achieve gold over 800 m. [2] She led from start to finish to win in a time of 1 minute, 56.04 seconds, beating the Kenyan record and world leading time (1.56,18) she had set at the heats two days earlier. She retained the Kenyan Sportswoman of the Year award. [6]
On 24 May 2008 the 19-year-old Pamela Jelimo set a new Kenyan record of 1:55.76, beating the one previously held by Jepkosgei. [7] Jelimo's dominance throughout the season prevented Jepkosgei from major victories, but won Olympic silver medal over 800 m.
She collided with Caster Semenya of South Africa such that Jepkosgei fell and finished last in her heat at the 2009 World Championships. However, after a successful protest, she was allowed to run in the semi-finals [8] and eventually achieved silver medal, well behind the winner Semenya.
Jepkosgei started her 2010 season by a win at the Diamond League meeting in Shanghai, China. [9]
Her father Michael Busienei was an 800 m runner, as is her younger brother Dennis Kiprotich. [10]
Jepkosgei is now coached by Claudio Berardelli. Her manager is Federico Rosa. [2]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing Kenya | |||||
| 2002 | World Junior Championships | Kingston, Jamaica | 1st | 800m | 2:00.80 |
| 2006 | Commonwealth Games | Melbourne, Australia | 1st | 800 m | 1:57.88 |
| African Championships | Bambous, Mauritius | 1st | 800 m | 2:00.64 | |
| World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | 2nd | 800 m | 1:59.10 | |
| IAAF World Cup | Athens, Greece | 2nd | 800 m | 2:00.09 | |
| 2007 | World Championships | Osaka, Japan | 1st | 800 m | 1:56.04 |
| World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | 1st | 800 m | 1:57.87 | |
| 2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing, China | 2nd | 800 m | 1:56.07 |
| World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | 2nd | 800 m | 1:58.41 | |
| 2009 | World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 2nd | 800 m | 1:57.90 |
| 2011 | World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | 2nd | 800 m | 1:57.42 |
| 2015 | World Championships | Beijing, China | 26th (h) | 800 m | 2:01.40 |
Zulia Inés Calatayud Torres is a Cuban runner competing mostly in the 800 metres event.
Alfred Kirwa Yego is a Kenyan middle-distance runner who specializes in the 800 metres. He is best known for winning the gold medal in the 800 m at the 2007 World Championships.
Nadezhda Fyodorovna Olizarenko was a Soviet middle-distance runner. At the 1980 Olympics she won the 800 m event, setting a world record at 1:53.43, and finished third in the 1500 m. Her 800 m world record was improved in 1983, but still remains the second-best time over that distance. Other than world record holder Jarmila Kratochvílová in 1983, only two athletes, Pamela Jelimo of Kenya, in 2008, and Caster Semenya of South Africa, in 2018, have come within a second of Olizarenko's mark since it was set.
Nancy Jebet Langat is a Kenyan middle distance runner who specialises in the 1,500 metres. She won the gold medal in the 1,500 m at the 2008 Summer Olympics, in a personal best time of 4:00.23.
Asbel Kipruto Kiprop is a Kenyan middle-distance runner, who specialises in the 1500 metres. He was awarded the 1500 m gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics after the original winner, Rashid Ramzi, tested positive for doping. Kiprop has won three World Championship titles in the event, in 2011, 2013 and 2015. Kiprop failed his own doping test in November 2017 and received a four-year doping ban.
Pamela Jelimo is a Kenyan middle-distance runner, specialising in the 800 metres. She won the gold medal in 800 metres at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing at the age of 18. She is the first Kenyan woman to win an Olympic gold medal and also the first Kenyan to win the Golden League Jackpot. She holds both the 800 m world junior record and the senior African record over the same distance. Jelimo is also one of the youngest women to win an Olympic gold medal for Kenya.
Kenya competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing, People's Republic of China from August 8 to August 24, 2008. Kenya won a total of 14 medals, 6 of them gold, its best ever performance at the Olympics.
Halima Hachlaf is a Moroccan runner who specializes in the 800 metres. She is the younger sister of Abdelkader Hachlaf, an international steeplechase athlete. She won silver medals in the 800 m at the Mediterranean Games and Jeux de la Francophonie in 2009. Her personal best for the distance is 1:58.27.
Mercy Cherono Koech is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner. She was the silver medalist in the 5000 metres at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics.
The women's 800 metres at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on 15–18 August at the Beijing National Stadium.
Yuliya Krevsun is a Ukrainian middle-distance running athlete who specialises in the 800 metres. She is a member of Fenerbahçe Athletics club in Turkey.
The women's 800 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium on 16, 17 and 19 August. The winning margin was 2.45 seconds which as of 2024 is the greatest winning margin in the women's 800 metres at these championships and the only time this event has been won by more than two seconds at these championships.
Mokgadi Caster Semenya OIB is a South African middle-distance runner and winner of two Olympic gold medals and three World Championships in the women's 800 metres. She first won gold at the World Championships in 2009 and went on to win at the 2016 Olympics and the 2017 World Championships, where she also won a bronze medal in the 1500 metres. After the doping disqualification of Mariya Savinova, she was also awarded gold medals for the 2011 World Championships and the 2012 Olympics.
Pauline Chemning Korikwiang is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner who competes in track and cross country running competitions.
The Women's 800 metres competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. The event was held at the Olympic Stadium on 8–11 August. Mariya Savinova finished the race in first place, but she has since been stripped of the gold medal for doping.
The Women's 800 metres at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Daegu Stadium on September 1, 2 and 4.
Eunice Jepkoech Sum is a Kenyan middle-distance runner who specializes in the 800 metres. She was the 2013 World champion and won the bronze medal in 2015. Sum took a silver and a gold at the 2012 and 2014 African Championships in Athletics respectively. She was also 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist and a three-time successive Diamond League winner in 2013–15.
Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon is a Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner. Kipyegon is the current world record holder for the 1,500 metres and mile, and the former world record holder for the 5,000 metres. Kipyegon is the only three-time Olympic champion in the 1500 metres race, having won a gold medal each at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics. She also won a gold medal in the 1,500 m at the 2017, 2022 and 2023 World Athletics Championships and in the 5,000 m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Kipyegon became the first athlete ever to win three consecutive gold medals in the 1500m women's race, where she also set a new Olympic record. Kipyegon had earlier on in the 2024 Paris Olympics also earned a silver medal in the women's 5000m race, an event marked by controversy. Initially disqualified for obstruction, Kipyegon's second-place finish was later reinstated. Beatrice Chebet edged her out to win the gold.
The 800 metres at the Summer Olympics has been contested since the first edition of the multi-sport event. The men's 800 m has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since 1896. The women's event was first held in 1928, making it the first distance running event for women. However it was not held again until 1960, since when it has been a permanent fixture. It is the most prestigious 800 m race at elite level. The competition format typically has three rounds: a qualifying round, semi-final stage, and a final between eight runners.
Nicholas Kiplagat Bett was a Kenyan track and field athlete who competed in the 400 metres hurdles. His personal best for the event is 47.79 seconds. He was a world champion in the event, having won in 2015, and a two-time bronze medallist at the African Championships in Athletics. He died in a road accident in Kenya at the age of 28.
|
African Champions in women's 800 metres | |
|---|---|
|
Commonwealth Games champions in women's 800 metres | |
|---|---|
| 880 yards (1934, 1962–1966) |
|
| 800 metres (1970–present) |
|
|
