Langbahn Team – Weltmeisterschaft

Timothy Cheruiyot

Timothy Cheruiyot
Cheruiyot at the Paris Diamond League in 2018
Personal information
Born (1995-11-20) 20 November 1995 (age 29)
Bomet, Kenya
Height1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight65 kg (143 lb)[1]
Sport
CountryKenya
SportAthletics
Event1500 metres
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)800 m: 1:43.11 (Nairobi 2019)
1500 m: 3:28.28 (Monaco 2021)
Mile: 3:49.64 (Eugene 2017)
2000 m: 5:03.05 (Nairobi 2020)
3000 m: 7:36.72 (Doha 2023)
5000 m: 13:47.2 (Nairobi 2020)

Timothy Cheruiyot (born 20 November 1995)[2] is a Kenyan middle-distance runner specialising in the 1500 metres. He is the 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medallist in the event and the 11th fastest athlete all time over the distance. At the World Athletics Championships, Cheruiyot won the silver medal in 2017 in London, and a gold in 2019 in Doha.

He took the silver medal in his specialty event at the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games, and is also a two-time African Championship silver medallist from 2016 and 2018. Cheruiyot won the 1500 m Diamond League title on four occasions: in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021.

Personal life & career

Cheruiyot is from the town of Singorwet, in Bomet County, Kenya, and lives on a farm with his family. Beginning in 2014, he began to train in the outskirts of Nairobi, via the Rongai Athletics Club, under Coach Bernard Ouma.[3]

Early Career: 2015-2018

2015

Cheruiyot's first major milestone in his career was competing on Kenya's Distance Medley Relay (DMR) team at the 2015 IAAF World Relays in The Bahamas. Team Kenya's goal was to improve on their existing DMR world record of 9:15.56 set back in 2006, but the new world record ended up going to the United States, in a time of 9:15.50, while Kenya finished second in a time of 9:17.20. Cheruiyot anchored this DMR (1600m leg) against the United States' Ben Blankenship.[4]

Cheruiyot would have a rematch against Blankenship three weeks later at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, in the men's International Mile. Blankenship won in a time of 3:55.72, while Cheruiyot finished 3rd in a time of 3:55.80.[5]

Cheruiyot then switched attention to the 1500 m at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing. Here, he made it through the rounds and took 7th place in the final in a time of 3:36.05.[6]

2016

In 2016, Cheruiyot won the 1500 m at the Rabat Diamond League, in a personal best time of 3:33.61.[7] He also took a silver medal in the 1500m at the African Championships in Durban (3:39.71), and finished 2nd in the Emsley Carr Mile (3:53.17) at the Anniversary Games in London.[8]

However, despite his successes, Cheruiyot took 4th place in the 1500 m final at the Kenyan Olympic Trials and was therefore unable to represent Kenya at the 2016 Rio Olympics.[2]

Although disappointed by not making Kenya's Olympic Team, Cheruiyot had another breakthrough by winning the 1500 m at the Brussels Diamond League, in a personal best time of 3:31.34.[9]

2017: World Silver Medallist & First Diamond League Title

On 18 June, Cheruiyot won the 1500 m at the Stockholm Diamond League in a new personal best of 3:30.77.[10] He followed it up by finishing second at the Kenyan World Championship Trials, qualifying him for the 2017 World Championships in London.[11] On 21 July, Cheruiyot finished second at the Monaco Diamond League in 3:29.10, his first time under the 3:30-barrier.[12]

At the aforementioned World Championships, Cheruiyot won the silver medal, finishing behind compatriot Elijah Manangoi.[13] In his final race of the season, Cheruiyot won at the Diamond League Final in a time of 3:33.93.[14][15]

2018

At the Commonwealth Games held on the Gold Coast, Cheruiyot claimed the silver medal in the 1500 m. On 12 May, he won the Shanghai Diamond League in a time of 3:31.48.[16] He continued his good form by winning the mile at the Prefontaine Classic in 3:49.87.[17] He went on to win at the Monaco Diamond League on 20 July, running 3:28.41 - a time which would be the world lead for the 2018 season.[18][19] Cheruiyot won at the Diamond League Final in Zurich, in a time of 3:30.27.[20]

At the end of the season, Cheruiyot was nominated for World Athletics Male Athlete of the Year.[21]

2019: World Champion

On 30 June, Cheruiyot won the mile at the Prefontaine Classic in 3:50.49.[22] He also won over 1500 m at the Laussane and Monaco Diamond Leagues in 3:28.77 and 3:29.97, respectively.[23][24] On 22 August, Cheruiyot won the 800 m at the Kenyan National Championships, in a time of 1:43.11, his first time under the 1:44-barrier. He then won over 1500 m at the Kenyan World Championship Trials on 13 September to secure his place at the World Championships in Doha.[25] At the World Championships, Cheruiyot won gold in the 1500 m. In a "superb display of dominance", he won by 2.12 s, the largest winning margin in World Championship 1500 m history.[26]

2020-2021: Covid Pandemic and Olympic Silver Medal

After the COVID-19 Pandemic disrupted the 2020 season, Cheruiyot was forced to compete less frequently. He won the Kenyan race over 2000 m at the Impossible Games, beating Elijah Manangoi. However, he lost the overall race to "Team Ingebrigtsen" who were competing in Oslo.[27] He set the world lead for the 2020 season at the Monaco Diamond League, running 3:28.47.[28][29]

In 2021, Cheruiyot opened his season by winning the Doha Diamond League in 3:30.48.[30] He finished a shock fourth at the Kenyan Olympic Trials, failing to qualify for the Olympics.[31] However, he was allowed to compete as second-placer Kamar Etyang was barred for participating due to not meeting anti-doping rules.[32] He recovered from his upset to win at the Stockholm Diamond League in 3:32.40.[33] He also picked up the win at the Monaco Diamond League, setting a new personal best of 3:28.28.[34]

At the Tokyo Olympics, Cheruiyot won silver in the 1500 m. Cheruiyot led for the majority of the race, however was overtaken by Jakob Ingebrigtsen on the final turn. He held off the fast-finishing Josh Kerr who took bronze.[35] He ended his season by winning the Diamond League Final in Zurich with a time of 3:31.27.[36]

2022: Commonwealth silver medal

Cheruiyot began his 2022 season with a 2nd-placed finish at the Doha Diamond League and a 3rd placed finished over the mile at the Prefontaine Classic.[37][38] He finished second at the Kenyan World Championship Trials to qualify for the 2022 World Championships, where he finished sixth in a season's best of 3:30.69.[39][40]

At the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Cheruiyot won the silver medal behind Ollie Hoare in a time of 3:30.21.[41] He was unable to win his fifth successive Diamond League title as he finished second at the Diamond League Final on 8 September.[42][43]

2023

Cheruiyot opened his 2023 season with a 3,000 m race at the Doha Diamond League, finishing 5th in a time of 7:36.72.[44] He returned to winning ways over 1500 m at the Los Angeles Grand Prix, running 3:31.47.[45] On 15 June, Cheruiyot competed at the Oslo Diamond League, running a season's best of 3:29.08 to finish fourth.[46] After winning the Kenyan World Championship Trials in a sprint finish, Cheruiyot was named in the team for the World Championships.[47][48]

At the Championships in Budapest, Cheruiyot was eliminated in the semi-finals of he 1500 m.[49] After the Championships, he revealed he had been struggling with a knee injury and would miss the rest of the season.[50]

2024

On 10 May, Cheruiyot competed at the Doha Diamond League, finishing second as part of a Kenyan 1-2-3 alongside Brian Komen and Reynold Cheruiyot, in a time of 3:32.67.[51] At the Oslo Diamond League on 30 May, Cheruiyot finished second, being narrowly pipped on the line by a diving Jakob Ingebrigtsen, in a season's best of 3:29.77.[52][53] At the Kenyan Olympic Trials, Cheruiyot finished third in the 1500 m to qualify for the Paris Olympics.[54] In July, He once again finished second behind Jakob Ingebrigtsen at the Monaco Diamond League, running a season's best of 3:28.71.[55]

At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Cheruiyot finished 11th in the 1500 m, having tried to go with the early pace he faded badly over the last lap.[56] He recovered from his dissapointment to win over 800 m at the Grand Prix Lombardia in Brescia and finish second over 1500 m at the Diamond League Final in Brussels.[57][58]

In November, Cheruiyot expressed his desire to retire from the 1500 m after the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, and transition to long-distance running and marathons.[59]

Achievements

International competitions

Representing  Kenya
Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
2015 IAAF World Relays Nassau, Bahamas 2nd Distance medley relay 9:17.20
World Championships Beijing, China 7th 1500 m 3:36.05
2016 African Championships Durban, South Africa 2nd 1500 m 3:39.71
2017 World Championships London, United Kingdom 2nd 1500 m 3:33.99
2018 Commonwealth Games Gold Coast, Australia 2nd 1500 m 3:35.17
African Championships Asaba, Nigeria 2nd 1500 m 3:35.93
2019 World Championships Doha, Qatar 1st 1500 m 3:29.26
2021 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 2nd 1500 m 3:29.01
2022 World Championships Eugene, United States 6th 1500 m 3:30.69
Commonwealth Games Birmingham, United Kingdom 2nd 1500 m 3:30.21
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary 23rd (sf) 1500 m 3:37.40
2024 Olympic Games Paris, France 11th 1500 m 3:31.35

Diamond League wins and titles

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing Nike
2016 Meeting de Rabat Rabat, Morocco 1st 1500m 3:33.61
Memorial Van Damme Brussels, Belgium 1st 1500m 3:31.34
2017 BAUHAUS-galan Stockholm, Sweden 1st 1500m 3:30.77
Weltklasse Zürich Zürich, Switzerland 1st 1500m 3:31.34
2018 Diamond League Shanghai Shanghai, China 1st 1500m 3:31.48
Prefontaine Classic Eugene, United States 1st One Mile 3:49.87
Golden Gala Rome, Italy 1st 1500m 3:31.22
Meeting de Paris Paris, France 1st 1500m 3:29.71
Herculis Monaco, Monaco 1st 1500m 3:28.41
Weltklasse Zürich Zürich, Switzerland 1st 1500m 3:30.27
2019 BAUHAUS-galan Stockholm, Sweden 1st 1500m 3:32.47
Prefontaine Classic Eugene, United States 1st One Mile 3:50.49
Athletissima Lausanne, Switzerland 1st 1500m 3:28.77
Herculis Monaco, Monaco 1st 1500m 3:29.97
Memorial Van Damme Brussels, Belgium 1st 1500m 3:30.22
2020 Herculis Monaco, Monaco 1st 1500m 3:28.45
BAUHAUS-galan Stockholm, Sweden 1st 1500m 3:35.79
2021 Doha Diamond League Doha, Qatar 1st 1500m 3:30.48
BAUHAUS-galan Stockholm, Sweden 1st 1500m 3:32.30
Herculis Monaco, Monaco 1st 1500m 3:28.28
Weltklasse Zürich Zürich, Switzerland 1st 1500m 3:31.37

National championships

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing Nike
2014 Kenyan Championships Nairobi 7th 800 m 1:47.32
Kenyan Junior Championships 3rd 800 m 1:45.92
2015 Kenyan Championships 2nd 1500 m 3:39.25
Kenyan World Championship Trials 5th 1500 m 3:34.86
2016 Kenyan Championships 2nd 1500 m 3:37.04
Kenyan Olympic Trials Eldoret 4th 1500 m 3:39.30
2017 Kenyan Championships Nairobi 1st 1500 m 3:41.0
Kenyan World Championship Trials 2nd 1500 m 3:31.05
2018 Kenyan Commonwealth Games Trials 1st 1500 m 3:34.84
Kenyan Championships 1st 1500 m 3:34.82
2019 Kenyan Championships 1st 800 m 1:43.11
Kenyan World Championship Trials 1st 1500 m 3:34.91
2021 Kenyan Olympic Trials 4th 1500m 3:34.62
2022 Kenyan Championships 6th 1500m 3:37.81
Kenyan Commonwealth Games / World Championships Trials 2nd 1500m 3:34.59
2023 Kenyan Championships 3rd 800m 1:45.10
Kenyan World Championship Trials 1st 1500m 3:34.01
2024 Kenyan Championships 3rd 800m 1:45.65
Kenyan Championships 4th 1500m 3:40.23
Kenyan Olympic Trials 3rd 1500m 3:35.90

Personal bests and World Rankings

Personal bests

Progression

Year Time Event Location Day
2015 3:34.86 Kenyan World Championship Trials Nairobi, Kenya August 1
2016 3:31.34 Brussels Diamond League Meeting Brussels, Belgium September 9
2017 3:29.10 Monaco Diamond League Meeting Monaco, Monaco July 21
2018 3:28.41 Monaco Diamond League Meeting July 20
2019 3:28.77 Lausanne Diamond League Meeting Lausanne, Switzerland July 5
2020 3:28.45 Monaco Diamond League Meeting Monaco, Monaco August 14
2021 3:28.28 Monaco Diamond League Meeting July 9
2022 3:30.21 2022 Commonwealth Games Birmingham, United Kingdom August 6
2023 3:29.08 Oslo Diamond League Meeting Oslo, Norway June 15
2024 3:28.71 Monaco Diamond League Meeting Monaco, Monaco July 12

World Rankings

Year Rank
2016 6th
2017 2nd
2018 1st
2019 1st
2020 N/A
2021 2nd
2022 3rd

References

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