Nancy Langat

Nancy Jebet Langat (born 22 August 1981) is a Kenyan middle distance, runner who specialises in the 1500 metres. She won the gold medal in the 1500 m at the 2008 Summer Olympics, in a personal best time of 4:00.23.

Nancy Jebet Langat
Langat (left) at the 1500 m in Berlin in 2009, with Mariem Alaoui Selsouli
Personal information
Born (1981-08-22) 22 August 1981
Height5 ft 0 in (1.52 m)
Weight108 lb (49 kg)
Sport
Country Kenya
Event(s)800 m, 1500 m
College teamKenya Air Force
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals2008 1500 m, 1st
2004 1500 m, 7th in semi-finals
Personal best(s)800 m: 1:57.75
1500 m: 4:00.23
Medal record
Women’s athletics
Representing  Kenya
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place2008 Beijing1500 m
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place2010 Delhi800 m
Gold medal – first place2010 Delhi1500 m

She also competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics and the 2005 World Championships, without reaching the finals. In her younger days she mainly competed in the 800 metres, and was successful as a junior.

Langat won gold at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and became the second Kenyan woman to win an Olympic gold. The first one was Pamela Jelimo, who won the 800 m at the same Olympics. At the 2009 World Championships, Langat did not advance past the semifinals, but finished the season with a win at the World Athletics Final.

In 2010 Langat won the prestigious Diamond League tally for the 1500 m. She went undefeated in all of her races against the best runners in the world. He performance at the 2010 IAAF Continental Cup was a controversial one, as she attempted to pull back Hind Dehiba as the two duelled in the final straight. Langat fell and finished last.[1] She claimed an 800/1500 m middle distance double at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, however, and was chosen as the Kenyan Sportswoman of the Year in December.[2]

Langat had less success on the 2011 Diamond League circuit: on her two appearances, at the Golden Gala and Prefontaine Classic, she came fifth both times. She topped the podium in the 1500 m at the 2011 Military World Games, but was eliminated in the semi-finals at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics. She suffered a knee injury in 2012 and missed the opportunity to defend her Olympic title.[3]

Personal life

Nancy Langat is married to marathon runner Kenneth Cheruiyot. Her oldest son turned six on the day that she won Olympic Gold. She was recruited by Kenya Air Force and is based at the Moi Air Base in Nairobi.[4] Her father Joseph Langat was an international level long-distance runner.[5]

Achievements

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing  Kenya
1996 World Junior Championships Sydney, Australia 3rd 800 m 2:03.21
1998 World Junior Championships Annecy, France 2nd 800 m 2:05.43
Commonwealth Games Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 18th (h) 800 m 2:07.68
2000 World Junior Championships Santiago, Chile 1st 800 m 2:01.51
2004 African Championships Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo 1st 1500 m 4:24.56
Olympic Games Athens, Greece 15th (sf) 1500 m 4:07.57
2005 World Cross Country Championships Saint-Étienne, France 8th Short race (4.196 km) 13:31
World Championships Helsinki, Finland 24th (h) 1500 m 4:16.13
2008 African Championships Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 4th 1500 m 4:16.19
Olympic Games Beijing, China 1st 1500 m 4:00.03
2009 World Championships Berlin, Germany 19th (sf) 1500 m 4:11.10
World Athletics Final Thessaloniki, Greece 1st 1500 m 4:13.63
2010 African Championships Nairobi, Kenya 1st 1500 m 4:10.43
IAAF Continental Cup Split, Croatia 8th 1500 m 4:23.93[6]
Commonwealth Games Delhi, India 1st 800 m 2:00.01
1st 1500 m 4:05.26
2011 Military World Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 1st 1500 m 4:15.42
World Championships Daegu, South Korea 24th (sf) 1500 m 4:12.92
2013 World Championships Moscow, Russia 9th 1500 m 4:06.01

References

  1. "Lagat falls on the track as she tries to win by making another runner fall". Universal World Sports. YouTube. 5 September 2010. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  2. "Rudisha and Lagat crowned Soya best athletes". The Standard. 11 December 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  3. Mutuota, Mutwiri (23 June 2012). "Rudisha runs 1:42.12 at altitude – Kenyan Olympic Trials". IAAF. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  4. "Bungei, Jebet strike gold". The Standard. 24 August 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2008.
  5. "Uncelebrated Lagat adds another feather to her cap". Daily Nation. 20 August 2010. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
  6. Representing Africa
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