Vénuste Niyongabo

Vénuste Niyongabo ( born December 9, 1973 in Vugizo, Makamba ) is a former middle and long distance runner from Burundi, the 1996 Olympic champion in the 5,000 -meter run.

Niyongabo, who belongs to the tribe of Tutsi, made in 1992 attracted attention when he won over 1500 meters at the Junior World Championships silver. At the World Athletics Championships in Stuttgart in 1993, he reached the semi-finals over this distance. Niyongabo was one of the best 1500 - meter runner and won several major races in 1994 and 1995. At the World Athletics Championships in Gothenburg in 1995 he won the bronze medal behind Noureddine Morceli and Hicham El Guerrouj.

Prior to the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta Niyongabo was considered one of the favorites over 1500 meters, but he left his starting place of his countryman and coach Dieudonné Kwizera and launched himself over 5000 meters, although he had previously only played twice over this distance a race. Kwizera had previously unable to participate in the Olympics because Burundi at that time had no National Olympic Committee. Both benefited from this decision: Kwizera was finally allowed to take part, and won Niyongabo completely surprising the 5000 - meter race after he had left behind all competitors in the final round.

In the following years Niyongabo had recovering from numerous injuries and could only occasionally reach his previous level of performance. At the 1999 World Championships in Seville about 1500 meters and at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney about 5000 meters he left respectively in the flow.

Personal Best

• Hall: 3:33,17 min, February 22, 1998 Liévin

• Hall: 7:37,82 min, February 25, 1995, Birmingham