Stephen Kiprotich facts for kids
Kiprotich at the Paris Half Marathon in 2014
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 27 February 1989 Kapchorwa District, Uganda |
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| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) (2012) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 56 kilograms (123 lb) (2012) | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Country | Uganda | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Long-distance running | |||||||||||||||||||
| Team | NN Running Team | |||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympic finals |
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| Personal best(s) |
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Medal record
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Gold
Stephen Kiprotich (born 27 February 1989) is a famous long-distance runner from Uganda. He is best known for winning the gold medal in the marathon at the 2012 London Olympics. This made him an Olympic champion!
Kiprotich also won a gold medal at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics. He is only the second person ever to win both an Olympic marathon title and a World Championship gold medal for the same event. He achieved his Olympic win with a time of 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 1 second. This was a huge moment for Uganda, as it was their first Olympic medal since 1996 and their first gold medal since 1972. It was also Uganda's first-ever medal in the marathon event.
Contents
Stephen Kiprotich's Early Life
Stephen Kiprotich grew up in Kapchorwa District, Uganda, which is near the border with Kenya. He is the youngest of seven children. His parents were farmers who grew food to support their family.
When he was a child, Stephen missed three years of elementary school. This was because he had an illness that doctors could not figure out at the time. From 2004 to 2006, he stopped doing athletics to focus on his schoolwork.
Starting His Running Journey
At 17 years old, Stephen decided to leave school. He moved to the Eldoret region in Kenya, which is known for its many great runners. There, he started training for the marathon with another famous runner, Eliud Kipchoge. A non-profit group from New York, called A Running Start, helped him with his training.
Stephen Kiprotich's Running Career
Stephen Kiprotich quickly showed his talent in long-distance running. He worked hard to improve his times in marathons.
Setting New Records
In 2011, Stephen ran his fastest marathon time yet at the Enschede Marathon in the Netherlands. He finished in 2 hours, 7 minutes, and 20 seconds. This was a new record for that race and also a new record for Uganda! The next year, he came in third place at the 2012 Tokyo Marathon.
Olympic Gold in London
Stephen Kiprotich was inspired by John Akii-Bua, who was the only other Ugandan to win an Olympic gold medal before him. John Akii-Bua won the 400 metres hurdles at the 1972 Summer Olympics.
In 2012, Stephen competed in the London Olympic Marathon. He won the race, finishing ahead of two Kenyan runners, Abel Kirui and Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich. This incredible win made him an Olympic champion!
World Championship Success
After his Olympic win, Stephen continued to achieve great things. In 2013, he won the IAAF Moscow World Championship Marathon. He finished the race in 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 51 seconds, earning another gold medal.
Later Races and Achievements
In 2014, Stephen ran in the New York City Marathon. The next year, in February 2015, he set a new personal best time in the marathon. He finished second at the Tokyo Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 6 minutes, and 33 seconds.
Stephen also appeared in a Ugandan film called SIPI the movie in 2015.
In 2016, Stephen competed in his second Olympic marathon at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. He finished 14th in that race. In 2017, he came in second place in both the Hamburg Marathon and the Fukuoka Marathon.
Stephen continued to compete in major marathons in the following years. He finished third in the Hamburg Marathon in 2019. He also represented Uganda at the 2019 World Championships in Athletics in Doha, Qatar.
In April 2021, Stephen finished fifth at the NN Mission Marathon in Enschede, Netherlands. He was the first Ugandan runner to finish that race. Stephen Kiprotich was chosen to be part of the Ugandan team for the men's marathon at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Stephen Kiprotich is a member of the NN Running Team. He trains in Kapchorwa, Uganda, where he grew up.
Images for kids
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Stephen Kiprotich at the Paris Half Marathon in 2014
See also
In Spanish: Stephen Kiprotich para niños
