Wilson Boit Kipketer

Not to be confused with Wilson Kipketer.

Wilson Boit Kipketer

Medal record
Men’s Athletics
Representing Kenya
Olympic Games
	2000 Sydney	3000 m steeplechase
World Championships
	1997 Athens	3000 m steeplechase
	1999 Sevilla	3000 m steeplechase

Wilson Boit Kipketer (born October 6, 1973 in Kenya) is a middle and long distance athlete most widely known for running the 3000 m steeplechase. On August 13, 1997, at the Weltklasse Zürich, he set the world record in the steeplechase at 7:59.08, the third of three world records set in a 70 minute period of time. He was second individual after Moses Kiptanui to run under eight minutes. Boit Kipketer's record only stood for 11 days before it was crushed by Bernard Barmasai who took almost 3 and a half seconds off the mark. A week earlier, Boit Kipketer led a Kenyan sweep of the same race in the 1997 World Championships, edging out Barmasai and then world record holder, three-time defending champion Kiptanui. He came back two years later to claim a silver medal in the 1999 World Championships and the following year in the 2000 Olympics.

He was born into a large family, one of twelve children.

In 2003, during an immigration clampdown by the Swedish authorities, Boit Kipketer was refused permission to run in Stockholm where the event organisers had lined him up as one of the main attractions, because he did not have the required visa.

He planned to debut in marathon at the Düsseldorf Marathon on May 6, 2007 [1].

He is not related to Wilson Kipketer, the 800 m runner who represented Denmark and was also part of the three world records set in 70 minutes in Zurich. Both attended St. Patrick's High School at the same time.

Politics

After his competitive career, Kipketer went into local politics as a member of the county assembly of the Kabiemit Ward.

Major achievements

(3000 m steeplechase)

• 1997
  • 1997 World Championships in Athletics - Athens, Greece.
    • gold medal
  • World Record - Zürich, Switzerland
    • 7 minutes 59.08 seconds
• 1999
  • 1999 World Championships in Athletics - Seville, Spain
    • silver medal
  • 1999 All-Africa Games - Johannesburg, South Africa.
    • silver medal
• 2000
  • 2000 Summer Olympics - Sydney, Australia.
    • silver medal
• 2002
  • 2002 IAAF World Cup
    • gold medal
  • 2002 African Championships - Tunis, Tunisia.
    • silver medal

References

• Wilson Boit Kipketer profile at IAAF

Records
Preceded by Moses Kiptanui	Men's steeplechase world record holder 13–24 August 1997	Succeeded by Bernard Barmasai