Abel Kipsang Bele (born 22 November 1996)[1] is a Kenyan middle-distance runner who specializes in the 1500 metres. He placed fourth in the event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Kipsang won the bronze medal at the 2022 World Indoor Championships in Belgrade.
 Kipsang in 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Abel Kipsang Belet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Kenyan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 22 November 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Kenya | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 800 m, 1500 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Police/Golazo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Alex Sang | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal bests | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Career
editAbel Kipsang gained his first experience at international championships at the 2019 African Games in Rabat, where he finished fourth over the 800 metres in a time of 1:45.43 minutes. Coached by Alex sang former 800m (1.45:13)
He set a personal best in the 1500 metres of 3:32.6 in Marseille on 9 June 2021, before finishing third on 19 June at the Kenyan Olympic trials to secure his place at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics.[2] His mark from Marseille placed him in the top 10 worldwide.[3] At the Tokyo Games on 5 August, Kipsang set a new Olympic record in the semifinals of the 1500 m with a time of 3:31.65, further improving his personal best.[4] This record was later broken by Jakob Ingebrigtsen who ran 3:28.32 in the final, where Kipsang set a new personal best of 3:29.56 for fourth. Timothy Cheruiyot clinched silver in 3:29.01 while Josh Kerr was third clocking 3:29.05.
In 2022, he became World Indoor Championship bronze medallist in Belgrade, setting a personal best of 3:33.36 and finishing behind Samuel Tefera (3:32.77) and Ingebrigtsen (3:33.02).[5]
Selected for the 1500m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, he qualified for the final, in which he finished fourth overall.[6]
In March 2024, he was a bronze medalist over 1500 metres at the 2023 African Games in Accra.[7]
Competition record
edit| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | African Games | Rabat, Morocco | 4th | 800 m | 1:45.43 |
| 11th (h) | 4x100 m relay | 41.28 | |||
| 2021 | Olympic Games | Tokyo, Japan | 4th | 1500 m | 3:29.56 |
| 2022 | World Indoor Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 3rd | 1500 m i | 3:33.36 PB |
| African Championships | Port Louis, Mauritius | 1st | 1500 m | 3:36.57 | |
| World Championships | Eugene, United States | 7th | 1500 m | 3:31.21 | |
| 2023 | World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 4th | 1500 m | 3:29.89 |
| 2024 | African Games | Accra, Ghana | 3rd | 1500 m | 3:39.45 |
References
edit- ^ "Abel KIPSANG | Profile". www.worldathletics.org.
- ^ "Cheruiyot and Kipruto miss out on Kenyan Olympic team". Inside the Games. June 20, 2021.
- ^ "1500 Metres - men - senior - outdoor - 2021". www.worldathletics.org.
- ^ "Athletics - Semi-Final 2 Results (Tokyo 2020)". olympics.com. Archived from the original on 2021-07-22. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
- ^ Crumley, Euan (2022-03-21). "Tefera turns the tables on Ingebrigtsen". AW. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
- ^ "Men's 1500m Results: World Athletics Championships 2023". Watch Athletics. 20 August 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
- ^ Wafulu, Abigael (22 March 2024). "Brian Komen upsets Abel Kipsang yet again to claim gold at African Games". Pulse Sports. Retrieved 23 March 2024.