Ezekiel Kemboi
![]() Kemboi at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics | |
Personal information | |
---|---|
Full name | Ezekiel Kemboi Yano[1] |
Nationality | Kenyan |
Born | [1] Matira, Rift Valley Province, Kenya[1] | 25 May 1982
Height | 1.67 m (5 ft 5+1⁄2 in)[1] |
Weight | 52 kg (115 lb)[1] |
Sport | |
Sport | Track & field |
Event | 3000 metres steeplechase |
Medal record | |
Updated on 24 August 2015 |
Ezekiel Kemboi Cheboi (born 25 May 1982) 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 seventh fastest of all time.[2] This time is also the fastest non-winning time in history. He is one of only five men to have won both Olympic and World golds in the event, along with Reuben Kosgei, Brimin Kipruto, Conseslus Kipruto and Soufiane El Bakkali. He and El Bakkali are the only multiple gold medalists in both. He is the only athlete to have won four world championships in the steeplechase (which he won consecutively). He is one of only three athletes to have won two Olympic titles in the event; the other two being Volmari Iso-Hollo and Soufiane El Bakkali.
Biography
[edit]Born in Matira, which is near Kapsowar, Marakwet District, Kemboi graduated from Kapsowar Boys Secondary School in 1999. He did not take up athletics until after he left school, but was spotted by Paul Ereng and won the African Junior Championships in 2001 despite falling.[3]
Kemboi became African Junior Champion in 2001 and then in 2002, he finished second at the Commonwealth Games behind compatriot Stephen Cherono. The same year Kemboi was originally fourth at the African Championships in Athletics, but was later awarded bronze after the winner Moroccan Brahim Boulami received a doping suspension.
At the 2003 World Championships, Kemboi had a gruelling battle with former teammate Saif Saeed Shaheen (formerly Stephen Cherono) who represented his new country Qatar, before Shaheen pulled away from the exhausted Kemboi to win by less than a second. Kemboi won the gold medal at the 2003 All-Africa Games.
In the absence of Shaheen – the Kenyan Olympic Committee refused to waive the three-year eligibility delay for established athletes who switch nationalities – Kemboi rose to a main favourite status at the Athens Olympics. The race went very much according to form, with the three Kenyans Kemboi, Brimin Kipruto and Paul Kipsiele Koech pushing the pace from the second lap and soon leaving the rest of the field behind and Kemboi winning a gold medal 0.3 seconds ahead of Kipruto in a Kenyan sweep.
In August 2005 he won a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics again behind Shaheen, and in March 2006 he won the 2006 Commonwealth Games. He finished second at the 2006 African Championships in Athletics, but was disqualified for improper hurdling.[3] At the 2007 World Championships in Athletics he won his third successive silver medal, this time losing to Kipruto.
Kemboi represented Kenya at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but managed only seventh – his worst performance on the global stage. He rebounded with a win at the 2009 World Championships (his first world championship gold medal) after three successive silvers and took silver at the 2010 African Championships the following year behind 2008 bronze medalist Richard Mateelong.
He took to the road races of Italy in August 2010, beating Peter Kimeli to the tape to win the Corribianco race in Bianco,[4] then taking the honours at the 8.5-kilometre Amatrice-Configno.[5]
He won the gold medal at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea.
Kemboi won the gold medal for Kenya in the 3000m Steeplechase in London 2012.[6][7] Kemboi won in a time of eight minutes 18.56 seconds.
In 2013, Kemboi added his third straight gold medal at the World Championships. In 2015, he took his fourth successive title at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics. This was his seventh World medal, setting a record for any athlete, which would subsequently be surpassed by Chinese shot putter Gong Lijao in 2023.[8]
On August 17, 2016, he won a bronze medal for Kenya in the 3000m Steeplechase in the Rio Olympics 2016. He then announced his retirement after the win.[9][10] Kemboi was later that day disqualified for stepping outside of the track.[11] An investigation into the incident was instigated when the French Olympic team complained that the runner had stepped out of the track after his final water jump during the race. The bronze medal was subsequently awarded to French runner Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad.[12] He announced his retirement immediately following the Olympic race, but rescinded that decision after learning of his disqualification. He made one final attempt, making the finals at the 2017 World Championships, where he finished a disappointing 11th place.
Personal life
[edit]Kemboi is managed by Enrico Dionisi. Since 2002 he has owned a 50-acre (20 ha) farm near Moi's Bridge, Trans-Nzoia District.[3] He is married to Jane Kemboi with two sons. Since 2009 he has been coached by Moses Kiptanui, who is also his neighbour.[13]
His participation in the 2012 Olympics was initially put in doubt when he was charged with assault in June 2012, after a woman claimed he stabbed her after she refused his sexual advances.[14]
Achievements
[edit]Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | African Junior Championships | Réduit, Mauritius | 1st | 3000 m s'chase |
2002 | Commonwealth Games | Manchester, England | 2nd | 3000 m s'chase |
African Championships | Radès, Tunisia | 4th | 3000 m s'chase | |
2003 | All-Africa Games | Abuja, Nigeria | 1st | 3000 m s'chase |
World Championships | Paris, France | 2nd | 3000 m s'chase | |
World Athletics Final | Monte Carlo, Monaco | 3rd | 3000 m s'chase | |
2004 | Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | 1st | 3000 m s'chase |
World Athletics Final | Monte Carlo, Monaco | 2nd | 3000 m s'chase | |
2005 | World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 2nd | 3000 m s'chase |
World Athletics Final | Monte Carlo, Monaco | 2nd | 3000 m s'chase | |
2006 | Commonwealth Games | Melbourne, Australia | 1st | 3000 m s'chase |
World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | 5th | 3000 m s'chase | |
2007 | All-Africa Games | Algiers, Algeria | 2nd | 3000 m steeple |
World Championships | Osaka, Japan | 2nd | 3000 m s'chase | |
2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing, China | 7th | 3000 m s'chase |
World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | 2nd | 3000 m s'chase | |
2009 | World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 1st | 3000 m s'chase |
World Athletics Final | Thessaloniki, Greece | 1st | 3000 m s'chase | |
2010 | African Championships | Nairobi, Kenya | 2nd | 3000 m s'chase |
2011 | World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | 1st | 3000 m s'chase |
2012 | Olympic Games | London, England | 1st | 3000 m s'chase |
2013 | World Championships | Moscow, Russia | 1st | 3000 m s'chase |
2014 | Commonwealth Games | Glasgow, Scotland | 3rd | 3000 m s'chase |
2015 | World Championships | Beijing, China | 1st | 3000 m s'chase |
2016 | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | DQ | 3000 m s'chase |
2017 | World Championships | London, United Kingdom | 11th | 3000 m s'chase |
References
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Wikinews-logo.svg/40px-Wikinews-logo.svg.png)
- ^ a b c d e "Ezekiel Kemboi". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
- ^ 3000 Metres Steeplechase All Time. IAAF. Retrieved on 10 August 2010.
- ^ a b c IAAF, 24 August 2004: Focus on Athletes – Ezekiel Kemboi (KEN)
- ^ Kemboi and Kalovics win Corribianco road race. IAAF (8 August 2010). Retrieved on 2010-0*-10.
- ^ Amatrice: vince Kemboi, 11° Baldini Archived 22 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine. FIDAL. Retrieved on 28 August 2010.
- ^ "London Olympics: Ezekiel Kemboi regains steeplechase gold". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
- ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19141802 Olympic athletics: Kemboi wins gold in 3,000m steeplechase
- ^ "American Ealey wins shot put gold again, Gong claims eighth successive medal". Reuters. 26 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
- ^ http://www.sportal.co.nz/article/news/rio-2016-two-time-olympic-champion-ezekiel-kemboi-announces-retirement/t2x7f4tnf0651502e6hrbwh3u Archived 28 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine Kemboi Announces Retirement
- ^ http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/sports/article/2000212396/ezekiel-kemboi-announces-retirement-after-bagging-bronze-for-kenya-at-the-rio-olympics Kemboi Announces Retirement
- ^ Kemboi disqualified from steeplechase, Mekhissi takes bronze
- ^ Koech, B. M. "Kemboi Disqualified | Athletes of Kenya". Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
- ^ The Standard, 21 August 2009: Kemboi thanks family after golden triumph in Berlin
- ^ BBC, 28 June 2012: Kenyan athlete Ezekiel Kemboi charged over stabbing
External links
[edit]- Ezekiel Kemboi at World Athletics
Media related to Ezekiel Kemboi at Wikimedia Commons
- 1982 births
- Living people
- People from Elgeyo-Marakwet County
- Kalenjin people
- Kenyan male middle-distance runners
- Kenyan male steeplechase runners
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- Olympic athletes for Kenya
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
- Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Kenya
- Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Kenya
- Olympic gold medalists for Kenya
- World Athletics Championships medalists
- Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics
- Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- World Athletics Championships athletes for Kenya
- Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Kenya
- Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field)
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2002 Commonwealth Games
- Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics
- African Games gold medalists for Kenya
- African Games medalists in athletics (track and field)
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2003 All-Africa Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2007 All-Africa Games
- World Athletics Championships winners
- IAAF World Athletics Final winners
- Medallists at the 2002 Commonwealth Games
- Medallists at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
- Medallists at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
- Diamond League winners