20 Facts About Wilson Kipketer

Wilson Kosgei Kipketer was born on 12 December 1972 and is a Danish former middle distance runner.

Wilson Kipketer set the world record and broke his own record two more times, all in 1997.

Wilson Kipketer 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.

Wilson Kipketer won gold medals in three successive editions of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics.

Wilson Kipketer represented both Sparta and KIF during his running career.

Wilson Kipketer was born in Kapchemoiywo, Kenya, into the Nandi tribe.

Keino suggested Wilson Kipketer attend the Catholic St Patrick's High School in Iten that was famous for bringing up young runners.

Unlike Wilson Kipketer, Rudisha did not attend St Patrick's, rather he went to a neighboring St Francis, Kimuron Secondary School in Iten, Keiyo District.

In 1990, Wilson Kipketer travelled to Denmark as a foreign exchange student, studying electronic engineering.

Wilson Kipketer liked Denmark so much that he applied for Danish citizenship.

Wilson 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 and was ranked number one in the world by Track and Field News magazine.

However, Wilson Kipketer was not a full Danish citizen, and in 1996 the International Olympic Committee disallowed him from competing for Denmark in the Olympic Games in Atlanta, USA.

Wilson Kipketer 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.

Wilson Kipketer came back in 1999 by finishing second at the Indoor World Championships and bettering that with a gold medal at the 1999 World Championship in Seville, Spain.

At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Wilson Kipketer took silver, finishing 0.06 behind Nils Schumann in a tactical, closely contested 800 metres race.

In 2002, Wilson Kipketer won the gold medal at the European Championships in Munich, defeating the reigning world champion, Andre Bucher and 2000 Olympic champion, Nils Schumann.

Wilson Kipketer won 8 of the 9 races he contested, had the fastest 800-metre time in the world, and ranked number one in the world for 800 metres for a record sixth time.

Wilson Kipketer 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.

Wilson Kipketer announced his retirement from competitive athletics in August 2005.

Wilson Kipketer married his Danish girlfriend Pernille in 2000.