Bernard Lagat

Bernard Kipchirchir Lagat (born December 12, 1974, Kapsabet, Kenya) is a middle and long distance champion athlete who now represents the United States. In July, 2008, Lagat won the US Olympic Trials in the 1500 m and 5000 m, making the US Olympic team in both events.

Early life

Lagat, now a Kenyan American, was born in Kaptel village, near Kapsabet town in Nandi District. His date of birth coincides with Jamhuri Day, the independence day of Kenya. He is a Nandi, sub-tribe of the Kalenjin people. He graduated from the Kaptel High School in 1994, where he had started his athletics career.

He joined Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Nairobi 1996. Later in the same year he moved to Washington State University. In 2000, Lagat graduated from Washington State University --as athletic greats Henry Rono and Michael Kosgei from Kenya had done before him-- with a degree in management information systems.

Lagat's older sister Mary Chepkemboi is also a runner and African Champion from 1994.

2000 Olympics

Lagat won the bronze medal in the 1500 m run while competing for Kenya at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. [ [http://www.usatf.org/athletes/bios/Lagat_Bernard.asp Bernard Lagat (Profile)] . USATF. 2008-08-18]

Controversy

Lagat was among several Kenyan athletes, along with Richard Limo and Reuben Kosgei, who were heavily criticized for not representing their country in the 2002 Commonwealth Games, which were held in Manchester, England. Instead, the runners chose to chase the prize money offered in the IAAF Golden League.

Lagat pulled out of the 2003 World Championships in Athletics in Paris, France, after being told he had tested positive for erythropoietin, (EPO), on August 8 while competing in Germany. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/3078642.stm Lagat fails drugs test] . BBC Sport. 2003-09-03] He was suspended from competition, but this was later lifted when a B sample tested negative. On hearing this good news he issued a statement saying "I hope this outcome will also remove any suggestion that I have ever taken drugs." [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/3156744.stm Lagat given all-clear] . BBC Sport. 2003-10-01]

2004 Olympics

Lagat won the silver medal in the 1500 m run while again competing for Kenya at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. [ [http://www.usatf.org/athletes/bios/Lagat_Bernard.asp Bernard Lagat (Profile)] . USATF. 2008-08-18]

From Kenyan to U.S. citizen

In March, 2005, Lagat announced that he had become a naturalized citizen of the United States since May 7, 2004, despite competing for Kenya in the 2004 Summer Olympics. Since Kenya does not allow dual citizenship his silver medal in the 1500 m is at stake, depending on how Kenya interprets its own laws (as of May 2005, no additional news has arisen on this issue). Due to this switch of nationality, Lagat served a ban from international championship events. For this reason he missed the IAAF World Championships in Helsinki. A similar switch of nationality, in this case Kenyan to Danish, caused Wilson Kipketer to miss the 1996 Olympic Games. Today, Lagat lives in Tucson AZ, with his wife Gladys Tom (a Canadian of Chinese descent) [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/sports/othersports/25runner.html?ref=olympics&pagewanted=all "A Runner Dreams of Gold Under a New Flag"] . "The New York Times", 2008-03-25.] , who he met while they both attended Washington State University [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=2958661 "ESPN The Magazine": "For love of country"] . ESPN.com, 2007-08-02.] [ [http://wsm.wsu.edu/stories/2008/February/lagat.html "Sports: Bernard Lagat comes home"] . "Washington State Magazine", 2008-02-01.] , and their 2-year-old son Miika Kimutai. [ [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91450510 "Kenyan-Born Runner Boosts U.S. Olympic Hopes"] . NPR, 2008-06-23.]

American track and field records

The U.S. does allow dual citizenship and consequently races run by Lagat after May 7, 2004 could have been ratified as American records, since USATF rules only state that an athlete has to be a U.S. citizen competing in a sanctioned competition to be eligible to set a national record. However, at the 2005 USATF annual meeting, his 3:27.40 win in the 1500 meters, on August, 6, 2004, in Zurich, was not ratified as an American record.

Nevertheless, Lagat owns three American records from races he had run in 2005 that were ratified by USATF. His first American records came indoors, with a 3:49.89 mile at Fayetteville, Arkansas, on February 11, 2005, during which his 1500 meters split time of 3:33.34 also established another new U.S. record, en route to a win in the event. The performance replaced records by Steve Scott, who set the previous American indoor mile record of 3:51.8 in 1981, and the previous American 1500 meter indoor record held by Jeff Atkinson, who ran 3:38.12 in 1989. Lagat's winning time of 3:29.40 at Rieti, Italy, on August 28, 2005, in the outdoor 1500 meters was ratified as his third new American record, improving upon the old record of 3:29.77, set by Sydney Maree in 1985.

Double gold

At the 2007 World Championships in Osaka Lagat surpassed all his previous achievements by becoming the first athlete to become world champion in both the 1,500 m and 5,000 m at the same IAAF World Outdoor Championships. Similar feats were accomplished by Hicham El Guerrouj at the 2004 Olympics and Paavo Nurmi at the 1924 Olympics. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics_2004/athletics/3599386.stm El Guerrouj wins historic gold] . BBC Sport. 2004-08-28] [ [http://osaka2007.iaaf.org/news/kind=2/newsid=41504.html With historic double, Lagat joins illustrious company] . "IAAF.org". 2007-09-02]

2008 Olympics

In 2008, Lagat won both 1500 m [ [http://www.usatf.org/events/2008/OlympicTrials-TF/results/F9.asp U.S. 2008 Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field - Men's 1500m Results] . USATF. 2008-07-06] [ [http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/athletics/story/2008/07/06/lagat-olympictrials.html Lagat wins 1,500m at U.S. Olympic trials] . CBC Sports. 2008-07-07] and 5000 m [ [http://www.usatf.org/events/2008/OlympicTrials-TF/results/F11.asp U.S. 2008 Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field - Men's 5000m Results] . USATF. 2008-06-30] runs at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, qualifying himself to compete with Team USA at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. [ [http://www.usatf.org/news/view.aspx?DUID=USATF_2008_07_06_19_08_45 Stuczynski breaks AR; hurdlers impress as Olympic Trials conclude: Lagat completes double] . USATF. 2008-07-06] Hopes were high that his success in both these events would continue at the Olympics. [ [http://www.iaaf.org/OLY08/news/kind=103/newsid=46552.html Lagat cautiously optimistic as double ambitions begin] . IAAF. 2008-08-14] [ [http://www.oregonlive.com/olympics/index.ssf/2008/08/lagat_eyes_double.html Lagat eyes double] . The Oregonian. 2008-08-13] However, Lagat failed to advance beyond the opening round semi-final race in the 1500 m run. [ [http://www.latimes.com/sports/nationworld/wire/ats-ap-oly-ath-track-and-fieldaug20,1,748714.story After a disappointment in 1,500, Lagat moves on in Olympic 5,000 meters] . The Los Angeles Times. 2008-08-20] [ [http://www.azcentral.com/sports/olympics/articles/2008/08/17/20080817olylagat0818.html Lagat fails to make Olympic 1,500 final] . The Arizona Republic. 2008-08-17] [ [http://www.nbcolympics.com/trackandfield/news/newsid=227967.html Lagat, Americans out after 1500m semis] . NBC Olympics. 2008-08-17] He was more successful in the 5000 m run, winning his semi-final heat to advance, [ [http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/8462466/Lagat-wins-5K-heat,-advances-to-Saturday-final Lagat wins 5K heat, advances to Saturday final] . The Associated Press. 2008-08-20] [ [http://www.azcentral.com/sports/olympics/articles/2008/08/20/20080820olylagat.html Lagat rebounds in 5,000 meters] . The Arizona Republic. 2008-08-20] but ultimately did not medal, running to ninth place finish in the finals. [ [http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/track_field/news;_ylt=Agr2kw7uQVo5pVrVDZhPqOqraJh4?slug=ap-ath-5&prov=ap&type=lgns Bekele wins 5,000, completes distance double] . The Associated Press. 2008-08-23]

Major achievements

Lagat's greatest achievement have come primarily in 1500 meter races, which have included:

Personal bests

References

External links

*
* [http://www.iaaf.org/news/athletes/newsid=26785.html IAAF Focus on Athletes]
* [http://www.usatf.org/athletes/bios/Lagat_Bernard.asp USATF Profile]
* [http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=200/bio/ NBC Olympics Profile]
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/fanguide/athlete?athlete=36724 ESPN Profile]
* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91450510 Kenyan-Born Runner Boosts U.S. Olympic Hopes (NPR)]

Video links

* [http://www.flocasts.com/flotrack/search.php?q=bernard+lagat Flotrack Video Interview of Bernard Lagat]