Ezekiel Kemboi
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
 Kemboi winning at the 2009 World Championships |
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| Men’s athletics | ||
Competitor for  Kenya |
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| Olympic Games | ||
| Gold | 2004 Athens | 3000 m st. |
| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 2009 Berlin | 3000 m st. |
| Gold | 2011 Daegu | 3000 m st. |
| Silver | 2003 Paris | 3000 m st. |
| Silver | 2005 Helsinki | 3000 m st. |
| Silver | 2007 Osaka | 3000 m st. |
| Commonwealth Games | ||
| Gold | 2006 Melbourne | 3000 m st. |
| Silver | 2002 Manchester | 3000 m st. |
| Silver | 2010 Delhi | 3000 m st. |
Ezekiel Kemboi Cheboi (born May 25, 1982) is a Kenyan athlete, winner of the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2009 World Championships and the 2011 World Championships. He became African Junior Champion in 2001 and came to prominence with a silver medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Kemboi established himself as one the world's foremost steeplechasers with a win at the 2003 All-Africa Games, a silver at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics, and then becoming the 2004 Olympic Champion. Over the next three years he obtained two more world silver medals and won at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
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 gold medal) and took silver at the 2010 African Championships the following year. His 3000 m steeplechase best of 7:58.85 places him as the seventh fastest of all time.[1] He is one of only three men to have won both Olympic and World golds in the event, along with Reuben Kosgei and Brimin Kipruto.
Career
Born in Matira, 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 in spite of falling.[2]
In 2002, Kemboi 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 grueling 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 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 August 2005 he won a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics, 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.[2]
Kemboi is managed by Enrico Dionisi. Since 2002 he has owned a 50-acre (200,000 m2) farm near Moi's Bridge, Trans-Nzoia District.[2] He is married to Jane Kemboi with two sons. Since 2009 he has been coached by Moses Kiptanui, who is also his neighbour [3]
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.
Achievements
References
- ^ 3000 Metres Steeplechase All Time. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-08-10.
- ^ a b c IAAF, August 24, 2004: Focus on Africa – Ezekiel Kemboi (KEN)
- ^ The Standard, August 21, 2009: Kemboi thanks family after golden triumph in Berlin
- ^ Kemboi and Kalovics win Corribianco road race. IAAF (2010-08-08). Retrieved on 2010-0*-10.
- ^ Amatrice: vince Kemboi, 11° Baldini. FIDAL. Retrieved on 2010-08-28.
- IAAF profile for Ezekiel Kemboi
- IAAF, August 24, 2004: Focus on Africa – Ezekiel Kemboi (KEN)
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