NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 2 – Kenyan Athletics is mourning legendary athlete Wilson Kiprugut, the first Kenyan to win a medal at the Olympic Games, who passed away in Kericho last night at the age of 84.
Athletics Kenya announced the death of the legend on Wednesday morning, mourning him as a loveable and kind person who selflessly made the country proud on the global stage.
Kiprugut made a breakthrough on the international stage after clinching bronze at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, becoming the first ever Kenyan medalist at the Games.
“I am saddened to learn of the death of Kenya’s legendary middle distance runner. Kenya has lost an athletics legend and a wise counsellor to budding sportsmen and women. Indeed as a nation we all marched to Kiprugut’s achievements that set the stage for Kenya’s reputation as a world leader in middle and long distance running,” CS Ababu Namwamba said in a statement.
A condolence from National Olympic Committee of Kenya boss Paul Tergat stated; “His death is even more painful considering that it was only recently during the extraordinary Olympics celebrations in Tokyo where he earned his Olympic medal.”
“As we celebrate this icon, we note with pride that his legacy is immortalized as our athletes continue the winning tradition he established. We join the family and the rest of the sporting fraternity in mourning this great athlete and pray for God’s comfort and strength to bear.”
Not only was he the first African athlete to break 1:46 for the 800m, he became the first person from Kenya to win an Olympic medal in any sport.
He won 400m and 800m gold at the 1965 All African Games and silver in the 880 yards at the 1966 Commonwealth Games. He improved his African 800m record to 1:45.2 in 1967, then successfully defended his title at the 1967 and 1968 East and Central African Championships, underlining his status as the best two-lap runner on the continent.
He went to the 1968 Olympic Games as one of the medal favourites, and safely made it through the rounds. He led for most of the final, passing through 200m in 24.8 and 400m in 51.0, but Australia’s Ralph Doubell kicked off the final bend and overtook Kiprugut, winning in 1:44.3 to equal the world record at the time.
Kiprugut took silver in 1:44.5, the third-fastest performance in history at that time and an African record that stood until 1974.
He retired from competition in 1969, but continued working as a coach and fitness instructor in the Kenyan army for another five years.
