Wilfred Bungei

Last updated

Wilfred Bungei
Osaka07 D7A Wilfried Bungei cropped.jpg
Personal information
Birth nameWilfred Kipkemboi Bungei
NationalityFlag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
Born (1980-07-24) 24 July 1980 (age 43)
Kabirirsang, Kenya
Sport
SportTrack and field
Event(s) 800 metres
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
Olympic Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2008 Beijing 800 m
World Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2001 Edmonton 800 m
World Indoor Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2006 Moscow 800 metres
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2003 Birmingham 800 metres

Wilfred Kipkemboi Bungei (born 24 July 1980) is a Kenyan retired Middle-distance runner, who won the 800 m gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. [1] He also won at the World indoor Championships in Moscow 2006 the 800 metres title, defeating Mbulaeni Mulaudzi and Olympic Champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy in the course of the race.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Career

Bungei was ranked No.1 in the world over 800 m in 2002 and 2003. He has a personal best of 1:42.34 minutes (Rieti 2002). At the 2001 World Championships in Athletics in Edmonton he won a silver medal over 800 m, finishing behind André Bucher.[ citation needed ]

While in school, he focused on sprints and decathlon, before concentrating on 800 metres running. [2] He graduated from Samoei High School in 1998. At the 1998 World Junior Championships in Athletics he won a silver medal. Bungei represented his native country at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Bungei is from Kabirirsang, a village near Kapsabet. Several of his relatives are runners, including his brother Sammy Kurgat, who won the 2008 Cologne Marathon. He is a second cousin to Kenyan-born Danish former athlete Wilson Kipketer, while his mum is a cousin of Henry Rono. [2]

Bungei is based near Verona, Italy during track season. He is married to Priscah Bungei with two sons (as of 2008). [3]

He was part of the 4 × 800 metres relay team who currently holds the world record.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Mutola</span> Mozambican middle-distance runner

Maria de Lurdes Mutola is a retired female track and field athlete from Mozambique who specialised in the 800 metres running event. She is only the fourth female track and field athlete to compete at six Olympic Games. She is a three-time world champion in this event and a one-time Olympic champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noureddine Morceli</span> Algerian middle-distance runner

Noureddine Morceli is a retired Algerian middle-distance runner. He was the winner of the 1500 metres at the 1996 Summer Olympics and won three straight gold medals at that distance at the World Championships in Athletics. He set world records in the 1500 m, mile run and the 3000 metres.

The men's 800 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program was held at the Athens Olympic Stadium from August 25 to 28. Seventy-two athletes from 58 nations competed. The event was won by Yuriy Borzakovskiy of Russia, the first medal for the nation in the event. Wilson Kipketer of Denmark became the 10th man to win a second medal in the 800 metres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ezekiel Kemboi</span> Kenyan steeplechase runner

Ezekiel Kemboi Cheboi is a Kenyan professional athlete, winner of the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2009 World Championships, the 2011 World Championships, the 2012 Summer Olympics, the 2013 World Championships and the 2015 World Championships. His 3000 m steeplechase best of 7:55.76 set at Monaco in 2011 places him as the sixth fastest of all time. This time is also the fastest non-winning time in history. He is one of only four men to have won both Olympic and World golds in the event, along with Reuben Kosgei, Brimin Kipruto and Conseslus Kipruto. He is the only multiple gold medalist in both. He is the only athlete to have won four world championships in the steeplechase, and only the second athlete to win two Olympic titles in the event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saif Saaeed Shaheen</span> Qatari-Kenyan long-distance runner

Saif Saaeed Shaheen, formerly Stephen Cherono, is a steeplechase runner. He was born in Keiyo, Kenya but now he represents Qatar. He was, for 19 years, the world record holder for 3000 metre steeplechase. He is a two time World Champion in the event. His older brother Abraham Cherono is also a steeplechase runner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brimin Kipruto</span> Kenyan middle-distance runner

Brimin Kipruto is a Kenyan professional middle distance runner who specialises in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He was born in Korkitony, Keiyo District. He holds a personal best of 7:53.64 minutes which is the second fastest time ever run, and the African Record. His personal best is only 0.01 of a second behind the world record of former county mate Saif Saaeed Shaheen, who switched national affiliation to Qatar after growing up as Stephen Cherono in the Keiyo District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benjamin Limo</span> Kenyan track and field athlete

Benjamin Kipkoech Limo is a Kenyan former middle- and long-distance runner. His races ranged distances from 1500 m to 10,000 m, but Limo mainly competed in 5000 metres, where he has won international medals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Augustine Kiprono Choge</span> Kenyan runner

Augustine Kiprono Choge is a Kenyan middle distance and long distance runner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janeth Jepkosgei</span> Kenyan middle-distance runner

Janeth Jepkosgei Busienei is a Kenyan middle distance runner and former world champion.

Japheth Kimutai is a Kenyan middle-distance runner who specialized in 800 metres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancy Langat</span> Kenyan middle-distance runner

Nancy Jebet Langat is a Kenyan middle distance, runner who specialises in the 1500 metres. She won the gold medal in the 1500 m at the 2008 Summer Olympics, in a personal best time of 4:00.23.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asbel Kiprop</span> Kenyan middle-distance runner

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Rudisha</span> Kenyan middle-distance runner (born 1988)

David Lekuta Rudisha, MBS is a Kenyan middle-distance runner who specialized in the 800 metres. He is a two-time back-to-back Olympic champion from the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics, a two-time World champion from the 2011 and 2015 World Championships in Athletics, and world record holder at the event with a time of 1:40.91 set at the 2012 London Games on 9 August 2012. Rudisha is the first and only person to ever run 800 metres under 1:41, and he holds the three fastest, six of the eight fastest, and half of the twenty fastest times ever run in this event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pamela Jelimo</span> Kenyan middle-distance runner

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.

The men's 800 metres at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place from 20–23 August at the Beijing National Stadium. Fifty-eight athletes from 40 nations competed. The qualifying standards were 1:46.00 and 1:47.00. The final on 23 August resulted in a triumph for Kenyan runner Wilfred Bungei in an official time of 1:44.65. It was the first victory in the event for Kenya since 1992 and the third overall. Ismail Ahmed Ismail's silver medal was Sudan's first Olympic medal in any competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuliya Krevsun</span> Ukrainian middle-distance runner

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 men's 800 metres competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, was held at the Olympic Stadium on 6–9 August. Fifty-five athletes from 43 nations competed. The event was won by David Rudisha of Kenya, the second consecutive and fourth overall title for Kenya in the event. Rudisha would later become the fourth man to successfully defend his Olympic 800 metres title, and the 11th to win two medals of any kind in the event. Nijel Amos' silver medal was the first Olympic medal ever for Botswana. Timothy Kitum of Kenya won the bronze medal.

Mohammad Mutlak Khalif Al-Azemi is a Kuwaiti middle distance runner who specialises in the 800 metres. His 800 m personal bests of 1:44.13 minutes outdoors and 1:48.93 minutes indoors are the Kuwaiti records for the event. He represented his nation at the Olympic Games in 2004, 2008 and 2012, and has also made four appearances at the World Championships in Athletics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amel Tuka</span> Bosnian middle-distance runner

Amel Tuka is a Bosnian middle-distance runner who competes in the 800 metres. His achievements include a silver medal at the 2019 World Championships as well as a bronze medal at the 2015 World Championships. Tuka holds national records in the 400 m and 800 m disciplines. His personal best is 1:42.51 in the 800 metres.

Mohamed Ali Gouaned is an Algerian middle-distance runner specializing in the 400 meters and 800 meters. He holds the Junior World best in 600 meters with a time of 1:14:79 set in Algiers on 26 March 2021 breaking the record held by Wilfred Bungei since 1 September 1999 with a time of 1:14:94.

References

  1. Phillips, Mitch; Ed Osmond (23 August 2008). "Bungei wins 800 meters for Kenya". Reuters. Retrieved 24 August 2008.
  2. 1 2 Daily Nation, January 23, 2011: Bungei, another jewel from the Kabirirsang factory
  3. The Standard, 28 September 2008: Olympic 800m champ Bungei, made Nandi warrior