 | This article needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(July 2018) |
 Kiplagat at the2012 World Indoor Championships | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1989-08-20)20 August 1989 (age 36) Siboh Village,Marakwet District, Kenya |
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) (2012) |
| Weight | 56 kg (123 lb) (2012) |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personalbest | 1500 m: 3:27:64 (2014) |
Medal record | |
| Updated on 7 August 2012 | |
Silas Kiplagat (born 20 August 1989) is a Kenyanmiddle-distance runner who specialises in the1500 metres. He has a personal best of 3:27.64 minutes, which makes him the seventh fastest of all-time over the distance.[1]
Born in Siboh Village,Marakwet District, he started training in seriousness for competitive running in 2008 after completing Chebara high school in Marakwet district. He metSammy Kitwara and the professional trained with him and introduced him to his coach,Moses Kiptanui, a three-time world champion in thesteeplechase. He initially wanted to follow Kitwara into longer distances, but Kiptanui recognised his speed and urged him to try shorter events instead.[2]
He tried his hand atcross country running and was seventeenth at theKenyan National Cross Country Championships. An appearance at theWorld's Best 10K inPuerto Rico saw him finish in tenth place. It was only when he ran in the 1500 metres that he showed his true athletic potential: he won the race at the Kenya Prisons Championships and then was runner-up at the National Championships, beaten only by the reigning Olympic championAsbel Kiprop. Italian coachRenato Canova assisting him technically introduced him to the Italian managerGianni Demadonna that signed him up, gaining him a place in the 1500 m at theHerculis meeting in Monaco.[2]
His European debut marked a meteoric arrival onto the elite athletics scene – not only did he outrun more experienced runners such asAmine Laâlou andAugustine Choge, but he improved his personal best time by five seconds of 3:29.27 and raised himself into the top ten fastest runners ever for the event.[3][4] He gained selection for the event at the2010 African Championships in Athletics and he just missed out on a medal, finishing fourth behindMekonnen Gebremedhin.[5] He returned to Europe and won at theInternationales Stadionfest and was second at theRieti Meeting to Asbel Kiprop.[6] After the close of the European summer track and field circuit, he represented Kenya at the2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. He andJames Magut completed a Kenyan 1–2 as Kiplagat became the Commonwealth champion with a tactical performance to beat defending championNick Willis.[7]
He won silver at the2011 World Championships, in a time of 3:35.92.[8]
He competed at the2012 Summer Olympics, finishing in 7th place in the finals, with a time of 3:36.19.[9]
Commonwealth Games champions in men's1500 metres | |
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| 1 mile (1930–1966) | |
| 1500 metres (1970–present) |
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