Robert Biwott

Robert Biwott

Robert Biwott in 2016
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Kenya
World Youth Championships
Gold medal – first place 2013 Donetsk 1500 m
African Youth Championships
Gold medal – first place 2013 Warri 800 m
Gold medal – first place 2013 Warri 1500 m

Robert Kiptoo Biwott (born 28 January 1996) is a Kenyan middle-distance runner. In 2013, he won the World Youth Championship at 1500 metres and the African Youth Championship at both 800 m and 1500 m. He won the 800 metres in his Diamond League debut in 2014.

Career

Biwott won two gold medals at the inaugural African Youth Championships in Warri, Nigeria in March 2013, running 1:47.01 in the 800 m and 3:41.96 in the 1500 m.[1] In June he won the 1500 m at the Kenyan tryouts for the World Youth Championships in Donetsk, Ukraine, earning selection;[2] his time of 3:38.5 was his personal best and at that point topped the annual world youth list.[3] Biwott won by more than five seconds in Donetsk, running successively faster laps to improve his world youth leading time to 3:36.77; the time was also a new championship record.[4]

Biwott debuted in the IAAF Diamond League at the 2014 Shanghai Golden Grand Prix and won a narrow victory in the 800 m after Algeria's Taoufik Makhloufi, the 2012 Olympic champion at 1500 m, started celebrating too early.[5] Biwott's time, 1:44.69, was a personal best by more than two seconds.[5]

References

  1. ^ Minshull, Phil (31 March 2013). "Kenya's Chepwogen, Jepkemei and Biwott impress at African Youth Champs". IAAF. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  2. ^ Mutuota, Mutwiri (12 June 2013). "Favourites beaten at Kenyan World Youth Trials". IAAF. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  3. ^ "NC-j Nairobi KEN 10–11 June". Tilastopaja. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  4. ^ "Championship record for Biwott in runaway 1500m victory". IAAF. 14 July 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  5. ^ a b Johnson, Len (18 May 2014). "Montsho and Makhloufi pay the price in Shanghai - IAAF Diamond League". IAAF. Retrieved 19 May 2014.