Isaac Kimeli

Kenyan-Belgian middle-distance runner

Isaac Kimeli
Kimeli in 2013
Personal information
NationalityKenyan-Belgian
Born (1994-03-09) 9 March 1994 (age 30)
Uasin Gishu County, Kenya[1]
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight59 kg (130 lb)[1]
Sport
CountryBelgium
SportAthletics
Event(s)Middle-, Long-distance running

Isaac Kimeli (born 9 March 1994[2] in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya) is a Kenyan born Belgian middle- and long-distance runner.

Kimeli won one Diamond League meeting, securing victory in the 5000 m at the 2019 Memorial Van Damme in Brussels (promotional event) with a personal best of 13:13.02.[2]

Training and personal life

When Kimeli was four years old, his mother migrated from their home county of Uasin Gishu in Kenya to Belgium to work as a nurse. Kimeli was left in the care of his grand-parents for ten years. At age 15 he was finally reunited with this mother in Belgium. It was there that his PE teachers encouraged him to join a track club.[3]

Career

In 2011, Kimeli competed in his first international competition at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Trabzon, Turkey.[3]

Two years later, Kimeli won his first international medal by winning a silver at the junior 2013 European Cross Country Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.[4] This was soon followed by a gold medal at the Under-23 2016 European Cross Country Championships in Chia, Italy[5], and 2 silver medals (one individual, one team) and a bronze at the senior level 2018[6], 2019[7] and 2022 European Cross Country Championships[8] resp.

On the track, Kimeli earned a silver in the 5000 metres at the 2015 European Athletics U23 Championships and in the 3000 metres at the 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships.[9]

Kimeli represented Belgium at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan resp. Paris, France, his best result a 8th place in the final of the men's 5000 metres in Paris.[10]

Achievements

Competition record

Representing  Belgium
Year Competition Venue Position Event Result
2011 European Youth Olympic Festival Trabzon, Turkey 9th 1500 m 3:58.80
2012 European Cross Country Championships Szentendre, Hungary 6th XC 6.025 km U20 19:00
2013 World Cross Country Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 30th XC 8 km U20 23:15
European Cross Country Championships Belgrade, Serbia 2nd XC 6.025 km U20 17:51
2014 European Championships Zürich, Switzerland 19th (h) 1500 m 3:41.96
European Cross Country Championships Samokov, Bulgaria 20th XC 7.782 km U23 26:20
2015 European U23 Championships Tallinn, Estonia 2nd 5000 m 13:54.33
European Cross Country Championships Hyères, France 38th XC 8.087 km U23 24:27
2016 European Championships Amsterdam, Netherlands 9th 1500 m 3:47.92
European Cross Country Championships Chia, Italy 1st XC 7.97 km U23 22:48
2017 World Cross Country Championships Kampala, Uganda – XC 9.858 km DNF
2018 European Championships Berlin, Germany 15th (h) 1500 m 3:42.77
– (f) 5000 m DQ
European Cross Country Championships Tilburg, Netherlands 2nd XC 10.3 km 28:52
2019 European Team Championships First League Sandnes, Norway 1st 3000 m 8:09.09
World Championships Doha, Qatar 18th (sf) 1500 m 3:37.50
14th 5000 m 13:44.29
European Cross Country Championships Lisbon, Portugal 7th XC 10.3 km 30:46
2nd Team 38 pts
2021 European Indoor Championships Toruń, Poland 2nd 3000 m 7:49.41
Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 32nd (h) 5000 m 13:57.36
18th 10,000 m 28:31.91
2022 World Indoor Championships Belgrade, Serbia – (f) 3000 m DNS
World Championships Eugene, OR, United States 10th 10,000 m 27:43.50 SB
European Championships Munich, Germany 11th 5000 m 13:33.39
– (f) 10,000 m DNF
European Cross Country Championships Turin, Italy 3rd XC 9.572 km 29:45
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary 13th 10,000 m 28:20.77
2024 European Championships Rome, Italy 14th 10,000 m 28:17.84
Olympic Games Paris, France 11th (h) 5,000 m 13:19.25
8th (f) 13:18.10
19th (f) 10,000 m 27:51.52

National titles

Personal bests

Road

References

  1. ^ a b "Isaac Kimeli Palmares". Vlaamse Atletiek Liga (in Dutch). Vlaamse Atletiek Liga. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Isaac KIMELI – Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  3. ^ a b "From not speaking the language to competing for the national team at Tokyo 2020, Belgian runner Isaac Kimeli is aiming for gold". CNN. 20 July 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Third time lucky for Duarte at European Cross as Bezabeh regains title". World Athletics. 8 December 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  5. ^ "Kimeli strikes gold as Italy claim team title". European Athletics Association. 11 December 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  6. ^ "ISAAC KIMELI RUNS HIS WAY TO A EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP MEDAL". www.focusonbelgium.be. 19 December 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  7. ^ "Can retains title while Fsiha breaks through at European Cross in Lisbon". World Athletics. 8 December 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Norwegian double as Ingebrigtsen and Grovdal retain European cross titles". World Athletics. 11 December 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  9. ^ "Kimeli doet er nog een Belgische medaille bij op EK indoor: zilver op 3.000 meter" (in Dutch). Sporza. 7 March 2021. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  10. ^ "Isaac Kimeli imponeert met 8e plaats op de 5.000 meter: "Ik had het zelf niet verwacht"" (in Dutch). Sporza. 10 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
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