Pauline Konga (born 10 April 1970) is a retired

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

n long-distance runner. At the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

she won the

silver medal A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc ...

in the 5,000 metres, making her the first Kenyan woman to win an Olympic medal.Post-Gazette, May 6, 2002
The Pathfinders
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Career

In 1990, Konga finished a dismal 125th at the 1990 World Cross Country Championships. She improved to 15th at the 1991 World Cross Country Championships, and finished twelfth in 3,000 metros at the 1991 World Championships. She also became the Kenyan champion in cross-country running (long course). In 1992 she finished a lowly 90th at the 1992 World Cross Country Championships, but improved to seventh at the 1993 World Cross Country Championships, also winning the gold in the team competition. Konga participated in her first Olympics in 1992, failing to progress from the heats in the

3000 metres The 3000 metres or 3000-metre run is a track running event, also commonly known as the "3K" or "3K run", where 7.5 laps are run around an outdoor 400 m track, or 15 laps around a 200 m indoor track. It is debated whether the 3000m shoul ...

. In 1996 she became Kenyan 5000 metres champion and finished third at the 1996 Grand Prix Final. At the 1996 Olympic Games she won the silver medal in the

5000 metres The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field, approximately equivalent to or . It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over laps of a stan ...

, becoming the first Kenyan woman to win an Olympic medal. Her personal bests were 8:37.76 minutes in the 3000 metres, achieved in August 1996 in

Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...

;World women's all-time best 3000m
(last updated 2001) 14:47.51 minutes in the 5000 metres, achieved in August 1996 in

Köln Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 million ...

; and 1:09:33 hours in the

half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcu ...

, achieved in January 1996 in

Marrakech Marrakesh or Marrakech ( or ; ar, مراكش, murrākuš, ; ber, ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, translit=mṛṛakc}) is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco. It is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakes ...

Personal life

She was born in

Baringo District Baringo County is one of the 47 counties in Kenya. It is located in the former Rift Valley Province. Its headquarters and largest town is Kabarnet. The county is home to Lake Baringo. Geographical location Baringo bounded by Turkana County and ...

. She is married to

Paul Bitok Paul Bitok (born 26 June 1970 in Kilibwoni, Nandi) is a Kenyan long-distance runner, who won two silver medals at consecutive Summer Olympics (1992, 1996) over 5000 metres. Life Bitok emerged in 1992 as a relatively unknown athlete. He qualif ...

, who won a silver medal in the men's 5000 metres at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics.

References

External links

* 1970 births Living people Kenyan female long-distance runners Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics Olympic athletes for Kenya Olympic silver medalists for Kenya People from Baringo County Sportspeople from Rift Valley Province Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field) Kenyan female cross country runners 20th-century Kenyan women {{Kenya-Olympic-medalist-stub