Nancy Langat

{{short description|Kenyan middle-distance runner}}

{{EngvarB|date=January 2019}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

|name = Nancy Jebet Langat

|image = 1500 m women Berlin 2009 2.JPG

|caption = Langat (left) at the 1500 m in Berlin in 2009, with Mariem Alaoui Selsouli

|imagesize =

|country = {{KEN}}

|event = 800 m, 1500 m

|alias =

|club =

|residence =

|coach =

|collegeteam = Kenya Air Force

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1981|08|22}}

|birth_place =

|height = {{convert|5|ft|0|in|m}}

|weight = {{convert|108|lb|kg}}

|turnedpro =

|retired =

|pb = 800 m: 1:57.75

1500 m: 4:00.23

|olympics = 2008 1500 m, 1st
2004 1500 m, 7th in semi-finals

|worlds =

|highestranking =

|coaching =

|updated =

|medaltemplates =

{{MedalSport|Women's athletics}}

{{MedalCountry|{{KEN}}}}

{{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}}

{{MedalGold|2008 Beijing|1500 m}}

{{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}}

{{MedalGold|2010 Delhi|800 m}}

{{MedalGold|2010 Delhi|1500 m}}

}}

Nancy Jebet Langat (born 22 August 1981) is a Kenyan middle distance runner who specialises in the 1,500 metres. She won the gold medal in the 1,500 m at the 2008 Summer Olympics, in a personal best time of 4:00.23.

She also competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics and the 2005 World Championships, without reaching the finals. In her younger days, she mainly competed in the 800 metres, and was successful as a junior.

Langat's gold at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing made her only the second Kenyan woman to win an Olympic gold. The first one was Pamela Jelimo, who won the 800 m at the same Olympics. At the 2009 World Championships, Langat did not advance past the semifinals, but finished the season with a win at the World Athletics Final.

In 2010 Langat won the Diamond League 1500 m. She was undefeated in all races against the best runners in the world. He performance at the 2010 IAAF Continental Cup was controversial, as she attempted to pull back Hind Dehiba as the two duelled in the final straight. Langat fell and finished last.{{cite web|work=Universal World Sports|date=5 September 2010|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CflWFrbjdPE |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211214/CflWFrbjdPE |archive-date=2021-12-14 |url-status=live|title=Lagat falls on the track as she tries to win by making another runner fall|publisher=YouTube|access-date=25 September 2010}}{{cbignore}} She claimed an 800/1500 m middle distance double at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, however, and was chosen as the Kenyan Sportswoman of the Year in December.{{cite news|work=The Standard|date=11 December 2010|url=http://www.standardmedia.co.ke?id=2000024398&cid=39&story=Rudisha%20and%20Lagat%20crowned%20Soya%20best%20athletes&articleID=2000024398 |title=Rudisha and Lagat crowned Soya best athletes|access-date=27 April 2016}}

Langat had less success on the 2011 Diamond League circuit: on her two appearances, at the Golden Gala and Prefontaine Classic, she came fifth both times. She topped the podium in the 1500 m at the 2011 Military World Games, but was eliminated in the semi-finals at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics. She suffered a knee injury in 2012 and missed the opportunity to defend her Olympic title.{{cite news|last=Mutuota|first=Mutwiri|date=23 June 2012|url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/rudisha-runs-14212-at-altitude-kenyan-olymp|title=Rudisha runs 1:42.12 at altitude – Kenyan Olympic Trials|publisher=IAAF|access-date=27 April 2016}}

Personal life

Nancy Langat is married to marathon runner Kenneth Cheruiyot. Her oldest son turned six on the day that she won Olympic Gold. She was recruited by Kenya Air Force and is based at the Moi Air Base in Nairobi.{{cite news|work=The Standard|date=24 August 2008|title=Bungei, Jebet strike gold}} Her father Joseph Langat was an international level long-distance runner.{{cite news|work=Daily Nation|date=20 August 2010|url=http://www.nation.co.ke/sports/athletics/Uncelebrated%20Lagat%20adds%20another%20feather%20to%20her%20cap%20%20/-/1100/994000/-/13bqs9/-/index.html|title=Uncelebrated Lagat adds another feather to her cap|access-date=21 August 2010}}

Achievements

{{AchievementTable|Event=yes}}
colspan="6"|Representing {{KEN}}
1996

|World Junior Championships

|Sydney, Australia

|bgcolor=cc9966|3rd

|800 m

|2:03.21

rowspan=2|1998

|World Junior Championships

|Annecy, France

|bgcolor=silver|2nd

|800 m

|2:05.43

Commonwealth Games

|Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

|18th (h)

|800 m

|2:07.68

2000

|World Junior Championships

|Santiago, Chile

|bgcolor=gold|1st

|800 m

|2:01.51

rowspan=2|2004

|African Championships

|Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo

|bgcolor=gold|1st

|1500 m

|4:24.56

Olympic Games

|Athens, Greece

|15th (sf)

|1500 m

|4:07.57

rowspan=2|2005

|World Cross Country Championships

|Saint-Étienne, France

|8th

|Short race (4.196 km)

|13:31

World Championships

|Helsinki, Finland

|24th (h)

|1500 m

|4:16.13

rowspan=2|2008

|African Championships

|Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

|4th

|1500 m

|4:16.19

Olympic Games

|Beijing, China

|bgcolor=gold|1st

|1500 m

|4:00.03

rowspan=2|2009

|World Championships

|Berlin, Germany

|19th (sf)

|1500 m

|4:11.10

World Athletics Final

|Thessaloniki, Greece

|bgcolor=gold|1st

|1500 m

|4:13.63

rowspan=4|2010

|African Championships

|Nairobi, Kenya

|bgcolor=gold|1st

|1500 m

|4:10.43

IAAF Continental Cup

|Split, Croatia

|8th

|1500 m

|4:23.93Representing Africa

rowspan=2|Commonwealth Games

|rowspan=2|Delhi, India

|bgcolor=gold|1st

|800 m

|2:00.01

bgcolor=gold|1st

|1500 m

|4:05.26

rowspan=2|2011

|Military World Games

|Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

|bgcolor=gold|1st

|1500 m

|4:15.42

World Championships

|Daegu, South Korea

|24th (sf)

|1500 m

|4:12.92

2013

|World Championships

|Moscow, Russia

|9th

|1500 m

|4:06.01

References