Pamela Jelimo was born on 5 December 1989 and is a Kenyan middle-distance runner, specialising in the 800 metres.
29 Facts About Pamela Jelimo
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Pamela Jelimo won the gold medal in 800 metres at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing at the age of 18.
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Pamela Jelimo is the first Kenyan woman to win an Olympic gold medal and the first Kenyan to win the Golden League Jackpot.
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Pamela Jelimo was born in Kiptomok village, Nandi District, Rift Valley Province.
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Pamela Jelimo's mother, Esther Cheptoo Keter, was a promising 200 metres and 400 metres runner, but the customs of the Nandi tribe meant that as the last-born daughter she could not marry and had to care for her parents in their old age.
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However, she was allowed to bear children to different men; thus, Pamela Jelimo was raised by her mother in a family of three brothers and six sisters.
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Pamela Jelimo began running in 2003, aged 13, at Koyo Secondary in the Kaptumo division, near Kapsabet.
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Pamela Jelimo refused to quit and began selling milk from the family cattle to pay her fees, traversing steep slopes on foot to sell it at Chemase market.
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The school headmaster Daniel Maru donated money for track suits and running shoes so that Pamela Jelimo could attend Kenya's centre of excellence for distance running.
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Still, her mother was forced to sell her last cow so Pamela Jelimo could take her exams.
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Pamela Jelimo began working for the Kenyan police force and was training with fellow Kenyan runner Janeth Jepkosgei.
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Pamela Jelimo made her breakthrough at the 2008 African Championships in Athletics aged 18.
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Pamela Jelimo's time, 1:58.70, was a new national junior record.
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On 18 August 2008 Pamela Jelimo won gold in the 800 metres at the Beijing Olympics.
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Pamela Jelimo became the first Kenyan woman to win an Olympic gold medal.
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Pamela Jelimo continued her unbeaten streak by winning the Weltklasse Golden League meeting in Zurich on 29 August 2008 improving her personal best to 1:54.01.
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Pamela Jelimo is the first Kenyan to win Golden League jackpot.
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Pamela Jelimo crowned her unbeaten season by winning her race at the 2008 IAAF World Athletics Final.
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Pamela Jelimo was shortlisted for the IAAF World Athlete of the Year women's category alongside Yelena Isinbayeva and Tirunesh Dibaba, but the award was won by Isinbayeva.
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Pamela Jelimo was awarded the IAAF Revelation of the Year Award and the 2008 Kenyan Sportswoman of the Year Award.
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Pamela Jelimo competed at the 2009 World Championships but did not finish her semi-final.
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Pamela Jelimo returned to competition in April 2010, winning the 800 metres race at the Athletic Kenya meeting in Nakuru.
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Pamela Jelimo finished 8th at the Diamond League meeting in Shanghai, China.
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Pamela Jelimo failed to qualify for the 2010 African Championships held in Nairobi.
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Pamela Jelimo had a promising start for the 2012 season finishing second behind Malika Akkaoui of Morocco in an indoor meeting at Lievin, France, running eason was crowned by gold medal at the 2012 World Indoor Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, improving her time to 1:58.83 seconds.
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Pamela Jelimo was almost a second ahead of the silver medallist Nataliia Lupu of Ukraine.
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Pamela Jelimo began the outdoor season with a win at the Doha 2012 Diamond League meeting in a meeting record time of 1:56.94 minutes.
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Pamela Jelimo was beaten by Fantu Magiso at the Golden Gala, but was victorious at the Kenyan trials and then set a world-leading time of 1:56.76 at the KBC Night of Athletics.
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The IOC had in 2024 disqualified the other athlete and have now advanced the other finishers up another placement, Pamela Jelimo was awarded the Silver medal.