Personal information | |
---|---|
Full name | Kipchoge Hezekieh Keino [1] |
Born | [2] Kipsamo, Nandi, Rift Valley, Kenya [1] | 17 January 1940
Height | 173 cm (5 ft 8 in) [1] |
Weight | 66 kg (146 lb) [1] |
Spouse | Phyllis Keino |
Achievements and titles | |
Olympic finals | 1964 Tokyo 5000 m, 5th 1500 m, 10th 1968 Mexico City 10,000 m, DNF 5000 m, Silver 1500 m, Gold 1972 Munich 3000 m steeple, Gold 1500 m, Silver |
Personal bests |
|
Medal record | |
Updated on 10 June 2015 |
Kipchoge Hezekiah Keino (born 17 January 1940) is a retired Kenyan track and field athlete. He was the chairman of the Kenyan Olympic Committee (KOC) until 29 September 2017. A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Keino was among the first in a long line of successful middle and long distance runners to come from the country and has helped and inspired many of his countrymen and women to become the athletics force that they are today. In 2000, he became an honorary member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). [3] In 2012, he was one of 24 athletes inducted as inaugural members of the IAAF Hall of Fame. [4]
Keino was born in Kipsamo, Nandi District, Kenya. His name, Kipchoge, is a Nandi language expression for "born near the grain storage shed". [5] His parents died when he was a youngster and he was raised by an aunt. After finishing school, he joined the Kenya Police. [6] Before taking up athletics, he played rugby. [7]
He began his international career at the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth, Western Australia where he came eleventh in the three miles. At the 1964 Summer Olympics he finished fifth in 5000 m and just missed qualification for the 1500 m final.
On 27 August 1965, Keino lowered the 3000 m world record by over 6 seconds to 7:39.6 in his first attempt at the distance. He won two gold medals (1500 and 5000 metres) at the inaugural All-Africa Games. Later in that year, he broke the 5000 m world record held by Ron Clarke, clocking 13:24.2. At the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica, he won both the mile run and three-mile run. In the next Commonwealth Games, Keino won the 1500 metres and was third in the 5000 metres.
At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, he won the 1500 metres gold medal (defeating American favourite and world record holder Jim Ryun by 20 metres, the largest winning margin in the history of the event) [8] and 5000 m silver medal. Four years later, he won the 3000 metres steeplechase gold and 1500 metres silver at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. Keino was the flag bearer for Kenya in the 1964 Summer Olympics and the 1972 Summer Olympics opening ceremonies. [9] Keino retired in 1973. [6] He is on the cover of the October 1968 issue of Track and Field News , the first issue following the Olympics. [10] He shared the cover of the September 1969 issue with Naftali Bon. [11]
Keino resides on a farm in Eldoret, Kenya where he controls and runs a charitable organization for orphans. He is married to Phyllis Keino.
Eldoret is a city in the Rift Valley region of Kenya. It serves as the capital of Uasin Gishu County. Located in western Kenya, and lying south of the Cherangani Hills, the local elevation varies from about 2,100 metres (6,900 ft) at the airport to more than 2,700 metres (8,900 ft) in nearby areas.
Noah Kiprono Ngeny is a Kenyan former athlete, Olympic gold medalist at 1500 m at the 2000 Summer Olympics, and world record holder in the 1000 m. He also ran the second-fastest mile ever.
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Kenya competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany. 57 competitors, 55 men and 2 women, took part in 29 events in 4 sports.
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The men's 1,500m metres was an event at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany. The final was held on Sunday 10 September 1972 and was contested by 10 athletes. The semi-finals were held on Saturday 9 September 1972 and were contested by 27 athletes. The heats were held on Friday 8 September 1972 and 71 athletes entered, with 66 runners from 46 nations competing. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The event was won by Pekka Vasala of Finland, the nation's first championship in the 1500 metres since back-to-back wins in 1924 and 1928. Kipchoge Keino of Kenya came half a second short of becoming the first man to successfully defend Olympic gold in the event; instead, his silver made him just the second man to win two medals of any color in the 1500 metres.
The men's 1500 metres event at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City was held on 18 to the 20 of October. Fifty-four athletes from 37 nations competed. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The event was won by Kenyan Kip Keino, who beat World record holder Jim Ryun, who struggled to adapt to the altitude of Mexico City. It was the first medal for Kenya in the 1500 metres. Ryun's silver was the United States's first medal in the event since 1952. Bodo Tümmler took bronze, the first medal for West Germany as a separate nation.
Benjamin Kiplagat was a Ugandan long-distance runner specialising in the 3000 metres steeplechase.
Stacey Chepkemboi Ndiwa is a Kenyan female long-distance runner who competes across cross country, track and road running disciplines. She was a gold medallist at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games in the 1500 metres and was a team silver medallist at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 2015, where she was fifth individually. She was also a bronze medallist in the 1500 m at the 2011 African Junior Athletics Championships.
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