Yobes Ondieki
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Medal record | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | |||
Competitor for  Kenya |
|||
| World Championships | |||
| Gold | 1991 Tokyo | 5000 m | |
Yobes Ondieki (born February 21, 1961 in Kisii, Nyanza) is a former Kenyan 5000 m runner, who won the World Championships' gold medal in Tokyo 1991. In the same year he set a temporary Kenyan 5000 m record of 13:01.82 in Zurich. He participated in the Olympic finals of 1988 and 1992 but did not win a medal.
Ondieki was known for his demanding training sessions and his ability to run constantly at a high pace. However, he lacked a finishing kick, a weakness exploited by his opponents in the 1992 Olympic 5,000 m final in Barcelona. (Some will recall that 1992 marked the first and only time that a white man (Dieter Baumann) had won the 5000 m Olympic final since Said Aouita did so in 1984.) In 1993, Ondieki became the first athlete to break the 27-minute-barrier over 10000 m at the Bislett Games in Oslo.
Ondieki married Lisa Martin, an Australian marathon runner. In 1990 they had a baby girl named Emma Ondieki. Today, Ondieki and Martin are divorced.
[edit] Reference
- IAAF profile for Yobes Ondieki
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Richard Chelimo |
Men's 10,000 m World Record Holder July 10, 1993 – July 22, 1994 |
Succeeded by William Sigei |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by John Ngugi |
Men's 5,000 m Best Year Performance 1989 |
Succeeded by Salvatore Antibo |
| Preceded by Salvatore Antibo |
Men's 5,000 m Best Year Performance 1991 |
Succeeded by Moses Kiptanui |
This Kenyan biographical article relating to athletics is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
