Olympic Competitor nr 3666
| 1928 | HP | |
|---|---|---|
| Men's Water Polo | bronze | 1280 |
| 1280 |
| 1960 | HP | |
|---|---|---|
| Men's Marathon | 25th | 0.15 |
| 0.15 |
| 1904 | HP | |
|---|---|---|
| Men's Turnverein Gymnastics, Combined | 46th | -5.48 |
| Men's Turnverein Gymnastics, Field sports | 25th | 0.019 |
| Men's Turnverein Gymnastics, Apparatus work | 60th | -8.19 |
| Men's Turnverein Gymnastics, Team | 8th | 48 |
| 48.0190048019 |
Olympic Competitor nr 1751
| 1932 | HP | |
|---|---|---|
| Painting | ac | 2.186 |
| 2.186 |
| 1936 | HP | |
|---|---|---|
| Men's Team | gold | 3200 |
| 3200 |
Olympic Competitor nr 6344
B. 1940-01-17, Kipsano, Kenya
Track and Field (2 gold, 2 silver)
| 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | HP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1500 m | 10th | gold | silver | 10500 |
| 5000 m | fifth | silver | - | 5000 |
| 10000 m | - | dnf | - | 0.0004 |
| 3000 m Steeple | - | - | gold | 9600 |
| 25100.0004 |
Black Africa's first Olympic track champion showed remarkable form as a runner for ten years from 1962. At Tokyo, he ran both the 1500 and 5000 metres.
The following season he made his breakthrough with world records at 3000 and 5000 metres. By 1968, it was obvious that his ability, and the fact that he was used to the altitude of Mexico City, would bring him medals. He amazed everybody by running the 10000 metres, the 5000 (in which he finished second) and the 1500 (which he won). At München, he had lost a little of his speed, and he finished second in the 1500 m. He still had the canniness and he won the steeplechase, an event he had never taken seriously before, by deliberately slowing the early pace in order not to be dropped by better hurdlers.
On the day he won the 1500 meters in Mexico, his wife was back home in Kenya, giving birth to his third daughter, Milka Olympia Chelagat.
In 2016 he was the first recipient of the Olympic Laurel.
| 1968 | 1972 | HP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men"s Team | fifth | fifth | 1000 |
| 1000 |
| 1948 | 1952 | HP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's Welterweight (-73 kg) | 15th | 8th | 399 |
| 399 |
| 1968 | HP | |
|---|---|---|
| Men's Team | R1:4th | 7.25 |
| 7.25 |
| 1936 | HP | |
|---|---|---|
| Men's Team | gold | 3200 |
| 3200 |
Olympic Competitor nr 3599
| 1952 | HP | |
|---|---|---|
| Men's 10000 metres | 28th | 0.0256 |
| Men's Marathon | 19th | 2.4 |
| 2.4256 |
| 1968 | 1972 | HP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women's 800 metres | SF:7th | 20.8 | |
| Women's 1500 metres | sixth | 640 | |
| 660.8 |
Written 2002-07-24 - last modified 2023-06-27
This page is part of the site "Full Olympians" by Herman De Wael. See here for a full Introduction.