Richard Chelimo facts for kids
Richard Chelimo (born April 21, 1972 – died August 15, 2001) was a talented long-distance runner from Kenya. He was known for holding a world record in the 10,000 metres race. Many remember him for winning a silver medal in the 10,000m at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. He also held a world junior record in the same event.
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
Representing  Kenya |
||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Silver | 1992 Barcelona | 10,000 m |
| World Championships | ||
| Silver | 1991 Tokyo | 10,000 m |
| Bronze | 1993 Stuttgart | 10,000 m |
| World Junior Championships | ||
| Gold | 1990 Plovdiv | 10,000 m |
Contents
Family and Running Roots
Richard Chelimo was born in the Marakwet region of Kenya. He was part of the Kalenjin tribe. This group is famous for producing many amazing runners. Richard came from a family of athletes. His cousin, Moses Kiptanui, won three world championships in the steeplechase. His brother, Ismael Kirui, won two world championships in the 5000 metres race.
Athletics Career Highlights
Chelimo's first big international race was in 1990. He competed in the junior world cross country championship in Aix-les-Bains, France. He won a silver medal there. At that time, Kenya was winning almost every junior cross country title.
Junior World Champion
Later in 1990, Chelimo showed his great talent. He won the gold medal in the 10,000 metres at the world junior championships. This event took place in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Richard finished 12 seconds ahead of his own brother, Kirui, who was only 15 years old.
Helping a Teammate in Tokyo
In 1991, Chelimo joined the Kenyan senior team for the 10,000 metres. This race was at the world championships in Tokyo. His job was to be a pacemaker for his teammate, Moses Tanui. A pacemaker helps set a fast speed for other runners. Chelimo successfully helped Tanui get ahead of his main rival, Khalid Skah from Morocco. On the last lap, Chelimo let Tanui sprint ahead to win the gold medal.
The Controversial 1992 Olympics Race
At the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Chelimo raced against Khalid Skah again. In the 10,000 metres final, with three laps left, Chelimo and Skah were battling for the gold. They came across another Moroccan runner, Hammou Boutayeb, who was a lap behind. This runner stayed with the leaders. The rules say a lapped runner should not "assist" another runner. The crowd was very upset by this.
Skah sprinted away from Chelimo in the last 150 metres to win the race. Skah was first disqualified, which made Chelimo the temporary Olympic champion. However, Morocco appealed this decision. Skah was given his gold medal back the next morning. This happened because the rule about assistance did not clearly state a penalty.
Breaking World Records
In 1993, Chelimo broke the world junior and senior 10,000 metres world record. He ran the race in 27 minutes and 7.91 seconds in Stockholm. He held the senior world record for only five days. Then, his fellow Kenyan, Yobes Ondieki, broke it again.
Chelimo held the junior record for more than 11 years. It was finally broken by Ugandan runner Boniface Kiprop Toroitich in 2004.
1993 World Championships
At the 1993 world championships in Stuttgart, Germany, Chelimo won a bronze medal. He could not keep up with the pace of Tanui and a new star, Haile Gebrselassie from Ethiopia. This race was also memorable because Tanui lost a shoe after Gebrselassie accidentally stepped on his heel. Gebrselassie went on to win that race.
Life After Running
Richard Chelimo stopped competing in athletics in 1996. After retiring, he faced some challenges. His friends, Moses Tanui and William Mutwol, encouraged him to train again. Chelimo worked hard to get back into shape. Sadly, he passed away at the age of 29 due to a serious illness.
See also
- List of notable brain tumor patients
