Bernard Lagat
Lagat at the World Indoor Championships in Doha in 2010
Bernard Lagat Kipchirchir ( born December 12, 1974 in Kapsabet ) is an American middle and long distance runners of Kenyan origin. He was world champion in 1500 and 5000 meters and two -time Olympic medalist.
Life
Lagat visited as the earlier Kenyan sports stars Henry Rono and Mike Boit Washington State University until he graduated in 2000 in the field of Management Information Systems there. In 2003 he took the U.S. citizenship. Since 2004, he also starts for the U.S..
His first big sporting success was the victory in the 1500 - meter race at the World Student Games in 1999, which he also qualified at the same time for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. There he won the bronze medal over 1500 meters behind Noah Ngeny (KEN ) and Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR ).
At the World Athletics Championships in Edmonton, he also won silver as 2002 at the Athletics World Cup in Madrid and at the European Athletics Championships in Africa Tunis. At the IAAF World Indoor Championships he won in 2003 2003 Birmingham Silver 1500 m and 2004 in Budapest Gold over 3000 meters.
At the 2004 Olympics in Athens he won the silver medal behind Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR ) and before Rui Silva ( POR). Its launch had been a long time questionable, since it is positive for erythropoietin (EPO ) was tested in August 2003, followed by a blocking occurred. It was not until the B sample brought a negative result.
At the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, he became world champion in 3:34,77 min above 1500 m and 5000 m in 13:45,87 min. At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, he did not reach the final of the 1500-meter and 5000 meter only ninth.
In 2009 he won the silver medal at the World Championships in Berlin about 1500 m and the bronze medal over 5000 m. 2010 in Doha, he was for the second time World Indoor champion over 3,000 m. In the World Cup 2011 in Daegu to Lagat had over 5000 m only beaten by Mo Farah and won with a time of 13:23,64 min the silver medal.
In 2012 he defended at the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul his title over 3,000 m. At the Olympic Games in London, he was fourth over 5000 meters.
Lagat lives in Tucson and Tübingen with his wife and son. He is 1.75m and weighs 61 kg.
Personal Best
- 800 m: 1:46,00 min, August 10, 2003, Berlin Hall: 1:47,07 min, February 20, 1999 Reno
- Hall: 2:18,12 min, February 11, 2007, Karlsruhe, Germany
- Hall: 3:33,34 min, February 11, 2005 Fayetteville (intermediate )
- Hall: 3:49,89 min, February 11, 2005 Fayetteville
- Hall: 5:04,26 min 21 February, 2008, Stockholm
- Hall: 7:32,43 min 17 February 2007, Birmingham
- Hall: 13:07,15 min 11 February, 2012, New York City