View source for Wilson Kipketer

{{short description|Danish former middle distance runner (born 1972)}}
{{Distinguish|Wilson Boit Kipketer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
|name             = Wilson Kipketer
|image            = Wilson Kipketer (2010).jpg
|caption          = <small>Kipketer in 2010</small>
|birth_date       = {{birth date and age|1972|12|12|df=y}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Wilson Kipketer|url=https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/denmark/wilson-kipketer-4681|work=iaaf.org|publisher=[[International Association of Athletics Federations]]|access-date=2019-10-08}}</ref>
|birth_place      = [[Kapchemoiywo]], [[Nandi County]], Kenya<ref>{{cite web|title=Wilson Kipketer: The African Viking|url=http://www.abc.net.au/olympics/2004/profiles/wilsonkipketer.htm|work=abc.net.au|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|access-date=2014-02-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224054156/http://www.abc.net.au/Olympics|archive-date=2014-02-24|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|death_date       =
|death_place      = 
|height           = {{height|m=1.82}}
|weight           = {{convert|63|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
|country          = Denmark
|sport            = [[Track and field]]
|medaltemplates   = 
{{MedalSport|Men's [[Athletics (sport)|athletics]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{DEN}}}}
{{MedalCount
|[[Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]|0|1|1
|[[IAAF World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]|3|0|0
|[[IAAF World Indoor Championships|World Indoor Championships]]|1|2|0
|[[European Athletics Championships|European Championships]]|1|0|0
|'''Total'''|'''5'''|'''3'''|'''1'''
}}
{{MedalOlympic}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Sydney]]|[[Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's 800 metres|800 m]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Athens]]|[[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 800 metres|800 m]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[IAAF World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1995 World Championships in Athletics|1995 Gothenburg]]|[[1995 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 800 metres|800&nbsp;m]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1997 World Championships in Athletics|1997 Athens]]|[[1997 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 800 metres|800&nbsp;m]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1999 World Championships in Athletics|1999 Seville]]|[[1999 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 800 metres|800&nbsp;m]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|World Indoor Championships}}
{{MedalGold |[[1997 IAAF World Indoor Championships|1997 Paris]]|[[1997 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's 800 metres|800 m]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships|1999 Maebashi]]|[[1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's 800 metres|800 m]]}}
{{MedalSilver |[[2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships|2003 Birmingham]]|[[2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's 800 metres|800 m]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[European Championships in Athletics|European Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[2002 European Championships in Athletics|2002 Munich]]|[[2002 European Athletics Championships – Men's 800 metres|800 m]]}} 
|updated          = 9 February 2014
}}

'''Wilson Kosgei Kipketer''' (born 12 December 1972) is a [[Denmark|Danish]] former [[Middle distance track event|middle distance]] [[running|runner]]. With a personal best of 1:41.11, Kipketer is tied with [[Emmanuel Wanyonyi]] as the second fastest of all time over the [[800 meters|800 meter]] distance, behind [[David Rudisha]]. Kipketer set the world record and broke his own record two more times, all in 1997. He dominated the 800 m distance for a decade, remaining undefeated for a three-year period and running 8 of the 17 currently all-time fastest times. He won gold medals in three successive editions of the [[IAAF World Championships in Athletics]]. Though unable to compete in the [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996 Olympics]] near the peak of his career, he earned [[Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's 800 metres|silver]] in [[2000 Summer Olympics|2000]] and [[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 800 metres|bronze]] in [[2004 Summer Olympics|2004]]. Kipketer's 800 meters world record stood for almost 13 years. It was surpassed on 22 August 2010, when [[David Rudisha]] beat it by 0.02 seconds, running 1:41.09. Kipketer still currently holds the indoor [[World indoor record|world record]] for the [[800 metres]].

Kipketer represented both [[Sparta (Athletic club)|Sparta]] and [[Københavns Idrætsforening|KIF]] during his running career.

==Biography==
{{Unreferenced|section|date=November 2025}}
Kipketer was born in [[Kapchemoiywo]], [[Kenya]], into the [[Nandi people|Nandi]] tribe (a subgroup of the Kalenjin people).<ref>{{Cite web |title=800m champions and records {{!}} Greatest Sporting Nation |url=https://www.greatestsportingnation.com/content/800m-champions-and-records? |access-date=2025-11-18 |website=www.greatestsportingnation.com}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Omotto |first=Joel |date=5 February 2025 |title=Wilson Kipketer: Citizenship Switch, Career, World Records, Wife, Height & Weight |url=https://www.pulsesports.co.ke/athletics/story/wilson-kipketer-citizenship-switch-career-world-records-wife-height-and-weight-202502041525010089 |website=pulse sport}}</ref>

As a teenager, Kipketer was first noticed by [[1968 Summer Olympics|1968]] and [[1972 Summer Olympics|1972]] Olympic champion [[Kip Keino]]. Keino suggested Kipketer attend the [[Catholic]] [[St. Patrick's High School (Iten, Kenya)|St. Patrick's High School]] in [[Iten]] that was famous for bringing up young runners. David Rudisha, who surpassed Kipketer's 800m world record in 2010, was also coached by longtime St. Patrick's coach, teacher and former Headmaster Brother Colm O'Connell.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rameshon |date=2010-08-14 |title=runningcoachsg: Meeting 800M World Record Holder Wilson Kipketer in Singapore (13/08/2010) - Part 1 |url=https://rameshon-m.blogspot.com/2010/08/meeting-wilson-kipketer-in-singapore.html |access-date=2025-11-18 |website=runningcoachsg}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

In 1990, Kipketer travelled to [[Denmark]] as a foreign [[Student exchange program|exchange student]], studying [[electronic engineering]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=A Mysterious Warrior Elusive Wilson Kipketer, a Kenyan-born Dane, is a wonder at 800 meters |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1999/08/23/a-mysterious-warrior-elusive-wilson-kipketer-a-kenyanborn-dane-is-a-wonder-at-800-meters |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20211022095326/https://vault.si.com/vault/1999/08/23/a-mysterious-warrior-elusive-wilson-kipketer-a-kenyanborn-dane-is-a-wonder-at-800-meters |archive-date=2021-10-22 |access-date=2025-11-18 |work=Sports Illustrated Vault {{!}} SI.com |language=en-us}}</ref> He liked Denmark so much that he decided to settle there, and eventually applied for Danish [[citizenship]]. 

Kipketer came to international attention in 1994 when he won 16 of 18 800 meter races, ran the second fastest 800 meters of the year (1:43.29) and was ranked number one in the world by [[Track and Field News]] magazine. The next year, he won 10 of 12 races, ran under 1:43 twice (becoming only the second man to break 1:43 twice in one season, after [[Joaquim Cruz]] who did it in 1984 & 1985) with his 1:42.87 being the world leader, and he competed for Denmark in the [[1995 World Championships in Athletics|1995 World Championships]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weekly |first=Athletics |date=2015-07-26 |title=World Championships: Men's 800m - Athletics Weekly |url=https://athleticsweekly.com/uncategorized/world-championships-mens-800m-29699/ |access-date=2025-11-18 |website=athleticsweekly.com |language=en-GB}}</ref> It was there that he claimed his first [[IAAF World Championships in Athletics|World Championship]] title in the 800 metres, pulling away from his competitors in dominating fashion down the homestretch.<ref>{{Cite web |last=wewhorun |date=2018-05-14 |title=Inspirational Athlete.. Wilson Kipketer (800m) |url=https://wewhorun.wordpress.com/2018/05/14/inspirational-athlete-wilson-kipketer-800m/ |access-date=2025-11-18 |website=We Who Run |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1995-08-09 |title=Two Africans Run To Gold U.S. Claims 100th World Medal |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1995/aug/09/two-africans-run-to-gold-us-claims-100th-world/ |access-date=2025-11-18 |website=Spokesman.com |language=en}}</ref>

However, Kipketer was not a full Danish citizen, and in 1996 the [[International Olympic Committee]] disallowed him from competing for Denmark in the [[1996 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]] in [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta, USA]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=1996-07-12 |title=Atlanta '96 : Kipketer set to lose nationality dispute |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/atlanta-96-kipketer-set-to-lose-nationality-dispute-1328541.html |access-date=2025-11-18 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> Despite his absence from the Olympics, there was no doubt that Kipketer was the strongest 800 m runner in the world that year. He remained undefeated throughout 1996, including wins over all three 800 meter medalists at the 1996 Olympic Games, and set a new personal best of 1:41.83 in [[Rieti]] at the end of the season, the fastest 800 meter time in the world in 12 years and only 0.1 short of the World Record. Despite not participating in the Olympics, Track & Field News magazine ranked him number one in the world in the 800 meters for 1996.

In 1997 Kipketer was at the peak of his career. In March he won the 800 m gold at the [[1997 IAAF World Indoor Championships|Indoor World Championships]] in [[Paris, France]]. In fact, he broke the indoor world record time in the heats by nearly a second, beating Paul Ereng's WR 1:44.84 with his 1:43.96. Then in the final he took yet another second off the world record with a scintillating 1:42.67. On 7 July he tied [[Sebastian Coe]]'s world record (1:41.73) for the 800 metres at a meeting in [[Stockholm]], Sweden. Coe's record had stood for sixteen years. He went on to break the record twice that year, the first time being in [[Zürich]], Switzerland at the [[Weltklasse Zürich]] GP on 13 August when he ran 1:41.24. (His was one of three world records to fall in a 70-minute stretch at this remarkable meet, the other two being the 5,000 meter record to [[Haile Gebrselassie]] and the 3,000 meter steeplechase to [[Wilson Boit Kipketer]]. (To the latter, he is not related.) Eleven days later, on 24 August, he improved the world record to 1:41.11 at the Grand Prix meet in [[Cologne]], Germany. On 8 August, in the [[1997 World Championships in Athletics]] at the [[Olympic Stadium (Athens)|Olympic Stadium]], [[Athens]], Greece, he led the race from start to finish, blazing the first 200 meters in 23.47 seconds, and successfully defended the World Championship title he had won in 1995. He was voted Track & Field Athlete of the Year by [[Track and Field News]] Magazine.

The following season, Kipketer contracted [[malaria]] and at first intended not to race at all. Eventually, he participated in three meets, winning in Monaco and running a swift 1:43.18 in Zürich. At the European Championships in Budapest but made physical contact with the eventual winner [[Nils Schumann]] on the final straight and did not win a medal. He came back in 1999 by finishing second at the [[1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships|Indoor World Championships]] and bettering that with a gold medal at the 1999 [[1999 World Championships in Athletics|World Championship]] in [[Seville]], Spain. As in 1997, Kipketer was undefeated in 1999, winning all 10 outdoor races and finishing the year ranked number one in the world in the 800m by Track & Field News magazine.

In 2000, he broke the world indoor record in the [[1000 m]]etres by running a 2:14.96. However, he raced sparingly outdoors and didn't show the same form he had in previous years, losing three out of the four races he contested. At the [[2000 Summer Olympics]] in [[Sydney, Australia]], Kipketer took [[silver medal|silver]], finishing 0.06 behind [[Nils Schumann]] in a tactical, closely contested [[Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Men's 800 metres|800 metres race]].

In 2002, Kipketer won the gold medal at the European Championships in Munich, defeating the reigning world champion, [[André Bucher]] and 2000 Olympic champion, Nils Schumann. He also won 8 of the 9 races he contested, had the fastest 800-metre time in the world (1:42.32), and ranked number one in the world for 800 metres for a record sixth time (one more than [[Mal Whitfield]]).

Despite fighting [[Sports injuries|injuries]], Kipketer continued to compete through the 2003 season gaining a silver medal at the [[2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships|Indoor World Championships]] at the [[National Indoor Arena]], [[Birmingham]], England but only managing fourth place at the [[2003 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]] later that year.

In the [[2004 Summer Olympics]] in Athens, Greece Kipketer had the lead with 80 meters left [[Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 800 metres|in the 800 metres]] final but was passed with 20 meters left by [[Yuriy Borzakovskiy]] and [[Mbulaeni Mulaudzi]], Kipketer taking the bronze medal. At 31 years of age he was still running fast times (breaking 1:44 on three occasions) but no longer had the dominant finish he once possessed, winning only one of the six races he contested, and did not race again after 2004. He ended his career with a remarkable record of fast 800 meter times: except for 2001, he ran 1:43 or better every year from 1994 to 2004. His ten years of sub-1:44 800 meter times is unmatched by any other athlete.

During 11 years his coach was Sławomir Nowak (Poland).

He announced his retirement from competitive athletics in August 2005.

==Post-running career==
He married his Danish girlfriend Pernille in 2000 (also a long-distance athlete).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.vob.co.za/imbaleki/2007may/Page%2033%20Wilson%20Kipketer.pdf|title=Chatting to Wilson Kipketer|author=Dickson, Sue|publisher=VOB Running Club|date=May 2007|page=33|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303010631/http://www.vob.co.za/imbaleki/2007may/Page%2033%20Wilson%20Kipketer.pdf|archive-date=3 March 2012|access-date=23 August 2016}}</ref>

Kipketer owns property in Monaco, Copenhagen, and Eldoret (Kenya). Kipketer has a son born in 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://translate.google.de/translate?sl=da&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=de&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fyens.dk%2Farticle%2F521908%3ANavne--Den-sky-loebekonge-abdicerer&act=url|title=Google Übersetzer|language=de |website=Translate.google.de|access-date=2019-10-08}}</ref>

Despite gaining Danish citizenship, Kipketer resides in Monaco. A 1999 article by Associated Press documents that his choice of residence was made for tax reasons.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/c44002057ecd6a1035a3d6f63ef46345|author=Wade, Stephen|title=Runner Bounces Back From Sickness|work=[[Associated Press News]]|date=1999-08-23|access-date=2016-08-20}}</ref>

Kipketer is today a member of the 'Champions for Peace', a group of more than 70 famous elite athletes committed to serving peace in the world through sport, created by [[Peace and Sport]], a [[Monaco]]-based international organization.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.peace-sport.org/champions/wilson-kipketer-2/|title=Peace and Sport, L'Organisation pour la paix par le sport|website=Peace-sport.org|date=2015-09-01|access-date=2019-10-08}}</ref>

==Personal bests==
{| class=wikitable
|-
!Event
!Time
!Date
!Venue
|-
|[[400 m]]
|46.85
|1994
|
|-
|[[800 m]]
|1:41.11
|24 August 1997
|[[Cologne]], [[Germany]]
|-
|[[800 m]]
|1:42.67 (indoor)
|February 1997
|[[Paris]], [[France]]
|-
|[[1000 m]]
|2:14.96 (indoor)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/biographies/country=den/athcode=4681/index.html |title=Wilson Kipketer &#124; Profile |website=Iaaf.org |access-date=2016-08-20}}</ref>
|20 February 2000
|[[Birmingham]], [[United Kingdom]]
|-
|[[1500 m]]
|3:42.80
|1993
|
|-
|[[Mile run|Mile]]
|3:59.57
|5 July 1993
|[[Stockholm]], [[Sweden]]
|}

==See also==
* [[List of eligibility transfers in athletics]]
* {{portal-inline|Sport of athletics}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Wilson Kipketer}}
*{{cite Sports-Reference|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ki/wilson-kipketer-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417171101/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ki/wilson-kipketer-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2020-04-17|title=Wilson Kipketer}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-ach|rec}}
{{Succession box|before= {{Flag icon|GBR}} [[Sebastian Coe]]|title=[[800 metres world record progression|Men's 800 metres World Record Holder]]|years=7 July 1997 – 22 August 2010|after={{Flag icon|KEN}} [[David Rudisha]]}}
{{Succession box|before={{Flag icon|GBR}} [[Sebastian Coe]]|title=[[European record progression 800 metres men|European Record Holder Men's 800 m]]|years=7 July 1997 – present|after=[[Incumbent]]}}
{{S-ach}}
{{Succession box|title=[[European Athlete of the Year Award|Men's European Athlete of the Year]]|before={{Flag icon|CZE}} [[Jan Železný]]|after={{Flag icon|GBR}} [[Jonathan Edwards (triple jumper)|Jonathan Edwards]]|years=1997}}
{{Succession box|title=[[Track & Field Athlete of the Year|Men's Track & Field Athlete of the Year]]|before={{Flag icon|USA}} [[Michael Johnson (athlete)|Michael Johnson]]|after={{Flag icon|ETH}} [[Haile Gebrselassie]]|years=1997}}
{{succession box|before=[[Bjarne Riis]]|after=[[Eskild Ebbesen]],<br>[[Thomas Ebert]],<br>[[Victor Feddersen]],<br>[[Thomas Poulsen]]|title=[[Danish Sports Name of the Year]]|years=1997}}
{{Succession box|title=[[Best Male Track Athlete ESPY Award|Men's Track & Field ESPY Award]]|before={{Flag icon|USA}} [[Michael Johnson (athlete)|Michael Johnson]]|after={{Flag icon|USA}} [[Maurice Greene (athlete)|Maurice Greene]]|years=1998}}
{{S-end}}

{{Footer World Champions 800 m Men}}
{{Footer World Indoor Champions 800m Men}}
{{Footer WBYP 800m Men}}
{{Footer European Champions 800 m Men}}
{{IAAF World Athlete of the Year (men)}}
{{European Athlete of the Year (men)}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kipketer, Wilson}}
[[Category:1972 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Athletes from Nandi County]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for Denmark]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Denmark]]
[[Category:Danish men middle-distance runners]]
[[Category:Kenyan emigrants to Denmark]]
[[Category:Kenyan men middle-distance runners]]
[[Category:Naturalised citizens of Denmark]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Denmark]]
[[Category:World Athletics indoor record holders]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:European Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Danish expatriate sportspeople in Monaco]]
[[Category:IAAF Golden League winners]]
[[Category:European Athlete of the Year winners]]
[[Category:Track & Field News Athlete of the Year winners]]
[[Category:IAAF World Athlete of the Year]]
[[Category:World Athletics Indoor Championships winners]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:20th-century Kenyan sportsmen]]
[[Category:21st-century Kenyan sportsmen]]