John Kipkurgat
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Kenya
British Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place1974 Christchurch800 metres
All-Africa Games
Silver medal – second place1973 Lagos800 metres

John Kipkurgat (born 16 March 1944) is a Kenyan former middle-distance runner who won gold in men's 800 metres at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games.

Career

Kipkurgat won silver in men's 800 metres behind fellow Kenyan Cosmas Silei at the 1973 All-Africa Games in Lagos, Nigeria.[1] At the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand Kipkurgat won gold, leading the 800 m final from gun to tape;[2][3] his winning time of 1:43.91 was a new African and Commonwealth record, and only two-tenths off Marcello Fiasconaro's world record of 1:43.7.[4]

Kipkurgat attempted to break Fiasconaro's world record two months later in Pointe-à-Pierre, Trinidad and Tobago.[4] He split 1:13.2 for 600 m, but ran completely out of energy and almost walked to the finish; his 600 m split, however, remains the fastest ever in an 800 m race and one of the fastest 600 m times in any conditions.[4][5]

Kipkurgat later joined the International Track Association, a professional circuit; at the time, athletics was primarily an amateur sport where most athletes only received under-the-table money, and turning openly professional disqualified him from running in further major international meets.[6][7][8]

References

  1. ↑ "All-Africa Games". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  2. ↑ Prokop, Dave (1975). The African running revolution. World Publications. p. 33. ISBN 978-0-89037-058-2.
  3. ↑ Tanser, Toby (2008). More Fire: How to Run the Kenyan Way. Westholme. p. 142. ISBN 978-1-59416-074-5.
  4. 1 2 3 Cimbrico, Giorgio (30 January 2014). "Una storia al giorno" (in Italian). Federazione Italiana di Atletica Leggera. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  5. ↑ "The All-Time World 600-Meter List". Track & Field News. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  6. ↑ Uhuru 13: Kenya Yearbook 1977. Newspread International. 1977.
  7. ↑ Rono, Henry (2008). Olympic Dream. AuthorHouse. p. 16. ISBN 978-1-4343-9170-4. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  8. ↑ "Africa Special Report: Bulletin of the Institute of African American Relations". Institute of African American Relations. 1976. p. 46. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
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