Ezekiel Kemboi

Ezekiel Kemboi in his World Championship victory in 2009 in Berlin

Ezekiel Kemboi ( Ezekiel Kemboi Cheboi; born May 25, 1982 at Matira Kapsowar, Marakwet District ) is a Kenyan steeplechaser. He is a two time Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion in his discipline.

Biography

Kemboi came only after the end of school athletics. He was African junior champion in 2001, even though he had fallen during the race. In 2002 he was at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in second. In the Africa Cup in the same year he was first fourth, then got the bronze medal but later, after the Moroccan Brahim Boulami had been locked because of a doping offense.

At the World Athletics Championships 2003 in Paris / Saint- Denis is Kemboi delivered a thrilling duel with his former compatriot Saif Saaeed Shaheen. Just before the finish pulled away the now starting for Qatar Shaheen and won with less than a second ahead.

The Kenyan Olympic Committee refused to waive the three -year vesting period following the change of nationality by Shaheen, so this was not allowed to participate in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Kemboi has therefore acted as the main favorite to win. He fulfilled the high expectations and won ahead of his compatriots Brimin Kiprop Kipruto and Paul Kipsiele Koech.

A year later, at the World Championships in Helsinki in 2005, he was beaten again by Shaheen and won the silver medal. Also at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, he won silver, this time behind Brimin Kiprop Kipruto. After he finished seventh at the 2008 Olympics, he won his second major title in 2009, he became world champion in Berlin. 2011 Kemboi defending this title at the World Championships in Daegu and won with a time of 8:14.85 ahead of compatriot Kipruto Brimin min the gold medal.

Also at the 2012 Olympics in London, he won gold. Kemboi won in 8:18,56 minutes ahead of Frenchman Mahiedine Mekhissi - Benabbad. Third was Kembois compatriot Abel Kiprop Mutai in 8:19,73 minutes.

Now with two Olympic gold medals, three World Championship titles and three more World Cup silver medal is one of the most successful runners of modern times.

Ezekiel Kemboi has a competition weight of 55 kg at a height of 1.65 m.