John Kipkurgat (born 16 March 1944) is a Kenyan former

middle-distance runner Middle-distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle-distance event. The 1 ...

who won gold in men's

800 metres The 800 metres, or meters ( US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of an outdoor (400-metre) track and has been an Olympic event since t ...

at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games.

Career

Kipkurgat won silver in men's 800 metres behind fellow Kenyan Cosmas Silei at the

1973 All-Africa Games The 2nd All-Africa Games – Lagos 1973 were played from January 7, 1973, to January 18, 1973, in Lagos, Nigeria. After the success of the first African Games, the organizing bodies awarded the second games to Bamako, Mali to be held in 1969. A ...

in Lagos, Nigeria. At the 1974 Commonwealth Games in

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Kipkurgat won gold, leading the 800 m final from gun to tape; his winning time of 1:43.91 was a new African and Commonwealth record, and only two-tenths off Marcello Fiasconaro's

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

of 1:43.7. Kipkurgat attempted to break Fiasconaro's world record two months later in

Pointe-à-Pierre Pointe-à-Pierre ( ) is a town in Trinidad and Tobago. It lies north of San Fernando and south of Claxton Bay. It is most famous as the site of the country's largest (and now, only) oil refinery which used to be run by Petrotrin, the state-ow ...

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. He split 1:13.2 for 600 m, but ran completely out of energy and almost walked to the finish; his 600 m split, however, remains the fastest ever in an 800 m race and one of the fastest 600 m times in any conditions. Kipkurgat later joined the

International Track Association The International Track Association (ITA) was a professional track and field organization that existed in the United States from 1972 to 1976. The ITA initially attracted many of the big track and field stars of the day to run in its meets and in ...

, a professional circuit; at the time, athletics was primarily an amateur sport where most athletes only received under-the-table money, and turning openly professional disqualified him from running in further major international meets.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kipkurgat, John 1944 births Living people Kenyan male middle-distance runners Athletes (track and field) at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Kenya Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics African Games silver medalists for Kenya African Games medalists in athletics (track and field) Athletes (track and field) at the 1973 All-Africa Games Medallists at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games