Kenya’s first Olympic medalist Kiprugut passes on

Kenya’s athletics fraternity has been thrown into mourning following the demise of one of the country’s pioneering athletes Wilson Chuma Kiprugut.

The renowned middle-distance legend passed away in Kericho county on Tuesday 1 November evening after a long illness at the age of 84.

He was the first Kenyan to win an Olympic medal, when he bagged bronze in the 800m at the Tokyo Games in 1964 and followed it up with silver in the 800m at the Mexico Games in 1968.

Kiprugut got his start in track and field athletics as a schoolboy and participated in his first major tournament in 1958, when he ran in that year’s East African championship.

"Our sincere condolences go out to the family, friends, and all Kenyan stakeholders. We will surely miss the presence of a truly loveable and kind person who selflessly made the country proud on the global stage," Athletics Kenya have said in mourning the legend.

It was here that he was spotted by scouts from the Kenyan Army and brought into military service, where he eventually rose to the rank of sergeant. His main job, however, was to train for middle-distance track events, and he made his intercontinental tournament debut at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.

There he was eliminated in the heats of the 440 yards and finished fifth in the 4x440 yards relay, alongside Kimaru Songok, Peter Francis, and the late Seraphino Antao.

Undeterred, his next stop was the 1964 Summer Olympics, where he became the first Kenyan to win an Olympic medal by taking bronze in the 800m. He was also eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 400m.

He then attended the inaugural All-Africa Games the following year and captured the 400m and 800m titles, before moving on to the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, where he took silver in the 880 yards.

His final major international tournament was the 1968 Summer Olympics, where he won silver in the 800m after being edged out of first place by Ralph Doubell of Australia.

During his career, Kiprugut held East African records in both the 800m and the 880 yards events. He retired from active competition in 1969 and remained with the army as a fitness instructor until 1974.

He later ran a farm near his home town of Kericho.

We at Mozzart Sport Kenya send our condolences to family and friends as they go through these trying moments.