View source for Wilson Boit Kipketer

{{short description|Kenyan middle-distance runner}}
{{Distinguish|Wilson Kipketer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{MedalTableTop|medals=
{{Medal|Sport | Men's [[Athletics (sport)|Athletics]]}}
{{Medal|Country | {{KEN}} }}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{Medal|Silver| [[Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Sydney]] |[[Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics|3000 m steeplechase]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[IAAF World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[1997 World Championships in Athletics|1997 Athens]]|[[1997 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 3000 metres steeplechase|3000 m steeplechase]]}}
{{Medal|Silver |[[1999 World Championships in Athletics|1999 Seville]]|[[1999 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 3000 metres steeplechase|3000 m steeplechase]]}}
}}

'''Wilson Boit Kipketer''' (born 6 October 1973 in [[Kenya]]) is a [[Middle distance track event|middle]] and [[Long-distance track event|long distance]] [[Athletics (sport)|athlete]] most widely known for running the [[steeplechase (athletics)|3000 m steeplechase]].  On 13 August 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.iaaf.org/records/toplists/middlelong/3000-metres-steeplechase/outdoor/men/senior|title=IAAF: 3000 Metres Steeplechase - men - senior - outdoor {{!}} iaaf.org|website=iaaf.org|access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref>  Boit Kipketer's record only stood for 11 days before it was crushed by [[Bernard Barmasai]] who took almost {{frac|3|1|2}} seconds off the mark.  A week earlier, Boit Kipketer led a Kenyan sweep of the same race in the [[1997 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 3000 metres steeplechase|1997 World Championships]], edging out Barmasai and then world record holder, three-time defending champion [[Moses Kiptanui|Kiptanui]].  He came back two years later to claim a silver medal in the [[1999 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 3000 metres steeplechase|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 [[Sweden|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 (document)|visa]].

He planned to debut in marathon at the [[Düsseldorf Marathon]] on 6 May 2007.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

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 (Iten, Kenya)|St. Patrick's High School]] at the same time.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}

==Politics==
After his competitive career, Kipketer went into local politics as a member of the county assembly of the [[Keiyo South Constituency#Locations and wards|Kabiemit Ward]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201106271531.html|title=Kenya: Boit At Ease in Politics As He Used to Be On Track|last=Komen|first=Jonathan|date=2011-06-27|work=The Nation (Nairobi)|access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref>

==Major achievements==
(3000&nbsp;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]]
**[[Athletics at the 1999 All-Africa Games|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 in Athletics|2002 African Championships]] - [[Tunis]], [[Tunisia]].
***silver medal

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{World Athletics}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-ach|rec}}
{{Succession box|before=[[Moses Kiptanui]]|title=[[Steeplechase world record progression|Men's steeplechase world record holder]]|years=13–24 August 1997|after=[[Bernard Barmasai]]}}
{{S-end}}

{{Footer World Champions 3000 m steeplechase Men}}
{{Footer IAAF World Cup Champions 3000m Steeplechase Men}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kipketer, Wilson Boit}}
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Kenyan men middle-distance runners]]
[[Category:Kenyan men steeplechase runners]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Kenya]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for Kenya]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Kenya]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:African Games silver medalists for Kenya]]
[[Category:African Games silver medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:African Games athletes for Kenya]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1999 All-Africa Games]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:20th-century Kenyan sportsmen]]


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