Janeth Jepkosgei

Janeth Jepkosgei (born December 13, 1983) is a Kenyan middle distance runner and world champion.

Early career

Janeth, nicknamed "Eldoret Express" is from Kabirirsang, near Kapsabet. Famous athletes Wilson Kipketer and Wilfred Bungei are also from the same village [The Standard, April 2, 2006: " [http://www.eastandard.net/archives/cl/hm_news/news.php?articleid=38833&date=2/4/2006 Sleepy village that produces track stars] "] . She started athletics while at Kapsombeiwa Primary School and took several events. Since 1998 she attended Sing’ore Girls High School near Iten, famous for producing Kenyan women athletes. She won national secondary school championship in heptahlon while still at form one IAAF: August 28, 2007: [http://www.iaaf.org/news/athletes/newsid=40897.html Focus on athletes] ] . Her specialty at the time was actually 400 metres hurdles. She attended the Kenyan trials for 1999 World Youth Championships, but as 400 m hurdles was not competed at the trials, she opted to take part in 800 metres. She finished second and was selected for the Kenyan team, but failed to reach the final of 800 metres competition in World Youth Championships held in Bydgoszcz, Poland IAAF, October 23, 2007: [http://www.iaaf.org/OLY08/news/Kind=2/newsId=42131.html Jepkosgei's Beijing target - first Kenyan women's middle distance Olympic gold] ] .

In 2000 she won two gold medals at national secondary school championships, the events were 400 metres hurdles and 800 metres. At the East Africa Youth Championships held in the same year she won 400 metres hurdles while at 800 metres she finished second x] .

She joined IOC-sponsored High Performance Training Centre in Eldoret in 2001. She was then coached by 1988 olympic gold medalist Paul Ereng [Daily Nation, December 25, 2007: [http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=5&newsid=113298 How Jepkosgei made us proud] ] . The same year, she took 800 metres silver medal at the African Junior Championships, and the next year she took 800 metres gold medal at the World Junior Championships in Kingston, Jamaica b] .

She took part at the 2003 All-Africa Games, but failed to reach the 800 metres final. In 2004 she won Kenyan Olympic trials at 800 metres but was not selected since she failed to beat qualifying time. The history repeated itself in 2005, when she won 800 metres at national trials, but did not secure an "A"-qualifying time. She did beat the "B"-qualifying time, but Athletics Kenya did not sent her or any other Kenyan 800 metres female runner to represent Kenya at the world championships b] .

Reaching global top

Her breakthrough year was 2006. On March 24, 2006 she won the women's 800 metres event at the 2006 Commonwealth Games with a time of 1 minute, 57.88 seconds. She managed to beat veteran runner Maria de Lurdes Mutola of Mozambique. Later same year she won African Championships in Athletics at the 800 metres event. She also beat Kenyan 800 metres women's record twice. Jepkosgei was awarded the 2006 Kenyan Sportswoman of the Year award [The Standard February 23, 2007 [http://www.eastandard.net/archives/cl/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143965206&date=23/2/2007 "Kipchirchir, Jepkosgei named Soya winners"] ] .

Jepkosgei made Kenyan History on the 28th August 2007, where she won Gold in the World Championship 800 m Final in Osaka, becoming the first female Kenyan Middle Distance runner to achieve Gold over 800 m. She led from start to finish to win in a time of 1 minute, 56.04 seconds, beating Kenyan record and world leading time (1.56,18) she had set at the heats two days earlier. She retained the Kenyan Sportswoman of the Year award [ [http://www.soyaawards.com/winners.html SOYA Awards - 2007 winners] ] . On May 24, 2008 the 19-year old Pamela Jelimo set a new Kenyan record of 1:55.76, beating the one previously held by Jepkosgei [ Daily Nation, May 26, 2008: [http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=5&newsid=124091 Jelimo sets new world junior record ] ] .

She is now coached by Claudio Berardelli. Her manager is Federico Rosa x] .

Personal best

*800 metres - 1:56.04 (2007)
*1000 metres - 2:37.98 (2002)
*1500 metres - 4:11.91 (2004)

References

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