Kwemoi at the 2019 World Athletics Championships | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nationality | Kenya | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | (1995-09-19) 19 September 1995 (age 29) Mount Elgon District, Bungoma County, Kenya | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event | 1500 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Updated on 26 August 2016 |
Ronald Chebolei Kwemoi (Japanese: ロナルド ケモイ; born 19 September 1995) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in cross country running and track running events. He specialises in the 1500 metres and holds a personal best of 3:28.81 minutes set at Herculis on July 18, 2014. The time is a world junior record. He was the 2014 Kenyan champion in the event. He was a team silver medallist at the 2013 IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
Career
Hailing from Mount Elgon District, Kwemoi ended his schooling in 2009 as his family could not afford the fees. He began training as a runner under coach Godwill Kipruto and around 2011 moved to Iten, a well-known centre for running in Kenya. He made his first impact as a runner at national level at the age of seventeen. He took his first victory on the Athletics Kenya circuit in Kericho. In February 2013 he entered the Kenyan junior cross country championships and won the race by six seconds. His win—on his national debut—was an upset as he was unknown beforehand and beat the more favoured Leonard Barsoton and Conseslus Kipruto, a world junior champion. This led to his international debut for Kenya and he placed ninth in the junior race at the 2013 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. Although he was beaten by his compatriots Barsoton and Kipruto at the event, his placing meant Kenya shared in the team silver medals behind Ethiopia.
After his cross country performances, he travelled to Japan and trained in track events. That season, he won a 1500 metres in with a best of 3:45.39 minutes and set a best of 13:41.99 minutes for the 5000 metres. He joined up with the Komori corporate running team in 2014 and focused on the 1500 m. He won his opening race of that year at the Kanaguri Memorial, improving to 3:42.45 minutes, then improved again to win at the Hyogo Relays. Wins at the East Japan championship and North Rift Valley championship preceded his first Kenyan national title, which he won in Nairobi in 3:34.6 minutes – knocking eight seconds off his previous best. He extended his unbeaten streak in the 1500 m at the Athletissima 2014 Diamond League meeting – there he caused an upset by winning in 3:31.48 minutes to beat world championship medallists Silas Kiplagat, Matt Centrowitz and Abdalaati Iguider. His time was the fastest by a junior (under-20) athlete for nearly ten years and placed him fourth on the all-time junior lists.
In what was called one of the greatest races in the history of the 1500 metres, Kwemoi was an up close spectator to a world record attempt by Asbel Kiprop at the 2014 Herculis meet in Monaco. The record attempt failed but turned into a highly competitive race, with 9 athletes setting personal bests. While Silas Kiplagat ended up beating Kiprop in 3:27.64, coming from sixth place with 200 to go to finish a few steps behind in third, Kwemoi improved his personal best and improved upon the world junior record with a 3:28.81. The time also tied Mo Farah as the number 7 1500 metres of all time. See the race
From the beginning of 2016 he went under the coaching of the Italian Renato Canova, looking for moving to the longer distance of 5000m.
In October 2024, it was announced that he had signed up for the inaugural season of the Michael Johnson founded Grand Slam Track.
Personal bests
- 1500 metres – 3:28.81 min (2014)
- Mile – 3:49.04 min (2017)
- 3000 metres – 7:28.73 min (2017)
- 5000 metres – 13:02.56 min (2024)
- 10000 metres – 27:33.94 min (2016)
- 10k Road – 27:16 min (2022)
International competition record
Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
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2013 | World Cross Country Championships | Bydgoszcz, Poland | 9th | Junior race (8 km) | 21:58 |
2nd | Junior team | ||||
2017 | World Championships | London, United Kingdom | 9th (sf) | 1500 m | 3:39.47 |
2019 | World Championships | Doha, Qatar | 7th | 1500 m | 3:32.72 |
2024 | Olympic Games | Paris, France | 2nd | 5000 m | 13:15.04 |
References
- ロナルド・ケモイ(Ronald Kwemoi) (in Japanese). Komori. Retrieved on 2014-07-05.
- Mutuota, Mutwiri (2013-02-16). Rono and Muriuki win Kenyan World Cross Trials in Nairobi. IAAF. Retrieved on 2014-07-05.
- Mutuota, Mutwiri (2013-01-13). Victories from Chebet and Mwangangi in Kericho wrap up AK XC series. IAAF. Retrieved on 2014-07-05.
- Kamau, Kimathi (2013-02-16). Kenya: Intense XC Nationals Fail to Solve Poland Jigsaw. All-Africa. Retrieved on 2014-07-05.
- Results - 40th IAAF World Cross Country Championships 2013 - Bydgoszcz (Myslecinek Park), POLAND 24 MAR 2013 - Junior Race - men. IAAF (2013-03-24). Retrieved on 2014-07-05.
- Results - 40th IAAF World Cross Country Championships 2013 - Bydgoszcz (Myslecinek Park), POLAND 24 MAR 2013 - Junior Race - men - Final - Team. IAAF (2014-03-24). Retrieved on 2014-07-05.
- ^ Ronald Kwemoi. Tilastopaja. Retrieved on 2014-07-05.
- Larner, Brett (2014-04-06). Mwangi Leads Season-Opening Kanaguri Memorial Meet . Japan Running New. Retrieved on 2014-07-05.
- 第62回兵庫リレーカーニバル (in Japanese). Hyogo Relays. Retrieved on 2014-07-05.
- Mulkeen, Jon (2014-07-03). Bondarenko wins again in Lausanne, Protsenko joins 2.40m club – IAAF Diamond League. IAAF. Retrieved on 2014-07-05.
- 1500 Metres - men - junior - outdoor All time best. IAAF (2014-07-04). Retrieved on 2014-07-05.
- "One of the Greatest 1500s Ever: Silas Kiplagat Fastest Time in 10 Years, World Junior Record, 7 Men (and Nick Willis) Sub 3:30, Leo Manzano and Matt Centrowitz PR - LetsRun.com". LetsRun.com. 2014-07-18. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
- "Grand Slam Track League Signs Grant Fisher, Nikki Hiltz and Ronald Kwemoi". FloTrack. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
External links
Categories:- Living people
- 1995 births
- Kenyan male middle-distance runners
- Kenyan male long-distance runners
- People from Mount Elgon District
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
- Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Kenya
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- Olympic athletes for Kenya
- Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics
- Kenyan male cross country runners
- World Athletics Championships athletes for Kenya
- Medallists at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2024 Summer Olympics
- Olympic silver medalists for Kenya
- Diamond League winners
- Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics
- Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field)
- 21st-century Kenyan sportsmen