Wilson Kipketer: How infectious smile landed former 800m record holder more opportunities

Former 800m world record holder Wilson Kipketer’s inspiring career is an excellent example of nothing beats an amazing smile.

Smile, as simple as it may be, has the potential to change the lives of individuals and Kipketer’s story emphasizes that.

The Kenyan-born Danish retired athlete, who is arguably one of the greatest ever 800m runner of all time, had an infectious beam which not only made him a global celebrity but also opened channels for more opportunities.

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After hanging his running sneakers, Kipketer landed an ambassadorial role from the World Athletics thanks to his positive personality.

According to the world governing body, the runner who hails from Nandi County used the charm to promote various events around the universe.

“Kipketer’s schedule in Bydgoszcz was exceptionally tight and he used every opportunity to let his infectious smile promote the World Cross Country Championships, sharing his experiences and of course signing lots of autographs and photos,” read part of the article published on the World Athletics website in 2010.

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Moreover, Kipketer did a lot of television interviews, meet influential leaders and left a huge mark in the history of athletics.

Besides being a smiling machine, he was also a force to reckon with on the track, dominating the 800m race for over a decade.

Kipketer bagged three 800m world titles in consecutive fashion before settling for silver and bronze in the 2002 and 2004 Sydney and Athens Olympic Games respectively. He won some of his other titles at the 1997 World Indoor Championship and 2002 European Championships.

Sadly, Kipketer never managed to clinch an Olympic gold medal in his trophy laden career because of the forces that were behind his control.

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While at the peak of his career, and enjoying an unbeaten run, Kipketer sadly missed the 1996 Olympic Games.

His absence was caused by the ban imposed on him by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) due to the lack of clarity on his citizenship.

The St. Patrick’s High School alumni went on to set a new world record over the distance in 1997 and lowered it twice the same year.

The fact that Kipketer currently holds eight of the 17 all-time fastest times in the 800m shows how fast he was during his running days. It took 13 good years for his world record of 1:41.11 set on Sunday, August 24, 1997 to be broken.

Kipketer’s world mark was improved by David Rudisha to 1:41.09 in Berlin in August 22, 2010. The 35-year-old then lowered it to 1:40.91 at the 2012 London Olympic Games. 

The duo were mentored by Brother Colm O’Connell at St. Patrick’s, although Rudisha studied at St. Francis Kimuron Boys Secondary school which is domiciled a few kilometres away from Iten.

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