Nicholas Bett

{{About|the Kenyan hurdler|the Kenyan steeplechase runner|Nicholas Kiptanui Bett}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Nicholas Bett

| image = Nicholas Bett 2015.jpg

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1990|01|27|df=yes}}

| death_date = {{death date and age|2018|08|08|1990|01|27|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Uasin Gishu County, Kenya{{cite web|url=https://results.gc2018.com/en/athletics/athlete-profile-n6050503-nicholas-kiplagat-bett.htm|title=2018 CWG bio|access-date=26 April 2018}}

| death_place = Nandi County, Kenya

| height = 1.90 m{{Cite web |url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/athlete/nicholas-kiplagat-bett |title=Rio 2016 bio |access-date=16 November 2016 |archive-date=25 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161125191516/https://www.rio2016.com/en/athlete/nicholas-kiplagat-bett |url-status=dead }}

| weight = 75 kg

| sport = Athletics

| event = 400 metres hurdles

| club = Team Kenya

| coach = Vincent Mumo Kiilu

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

}}

Nicholas Kiplagat Bett (27 January 1990 – 8 August 2018) was a Kenyan track and field athlete who competed in the 400 metres hurdles. His personal best for the event is 47.79 seconds. He was a world champion in the event, having won in 2015, and a two-time bronze medallist at the African Championships in Athletics. He died in a road accident in Kenya at the age of 28.

Career

His first outing at national level was in 2010, when he was a Kenyan junior finalist.{{Cite web|url=https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/kenya/nicholas-bett-267092|title=IAAF: Nicholas BETT {{!}} Profile|website=iaaf.org|access-date=2018-08-08}} He made his breakthrough nationally at senior level with a run of 50.39 seconds to place third at the Kenyan Athletics Championships in 2011. He missed most of the 2012 season but returned in 2013 with runner-up finishes at both the national championships and world trials.{{cite web|url=http://www.tilastopaja.org/db/atf.php?Sex=1&ID=125191|title=Nicholas Bett|work=Tilastopaja|access-date=9 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304082553/http://www.tilastopaja.org/db/atf.php?Sex=1&ID=125191|archive-date=4 March 2016}} A new personal best of 49.70 seconds at the latter meet placed him 53rd globally for the season.{{cite web|url=https://www.iaaf.org/records/toplists/hurdles/400-metres-hurdles/outdoor/men/senior/2013?regionType=world&timing=electronic&page=1&bestResultsOnly=true|title=Senior Outdoor 2013 400 Metres Hurdles Men|publisher=International Association of Athletics Federations|access-date=9 August 2018}}

Another runner-up finish at the national level earned him selection for both the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2014 African Championships in Athletics. At the Commonwealth Games he failed to make the 400 m hurdles final and was also eliminated in the heats of the 4 × 400 m relay after Kenya were disqualified.{{cite web|url=http://thecgf.com/search/athlete.asp?participants=&athleteid=67089&page=&exp=1|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914050654/http://thecgf.com/search/athlete.asp?participants=&athleteid=67089&page=&exp=1|archive-date =14 September 2015|title=Games Results for Nicholas Bett|publisher=Commonwealth Games Federation|access-date=2 August 2015}} At the African Championships in Athletics, he won a bronze medal in the 400 m hurdles, achieving a new personal best of 49.03 seconds, and a bronze medal in the 4 × 400 m relay with teammates Mark Mutai, Solomon Buoga and Boniface Mucheru.[http://84.33.2.63/marrakech2014/pdf/LivreResultats.pdf CAA /Maroc Telecom 19èmes Championnats d'Afrique d'Atléthisme Seniors]. Marrakech2014. Retrieved on 2 August 2015.

Bett began to compete on the international track and field circuit in 2015 and had wins at the Savo Games and Lappeenranta Games in Finland. A personal best of 48.29 seconds at the 2015 Athletics Kenya World Championship Trials brought him selection for the national team and raised him to third on the global rankings.Mutuota, Mutwiri (1 August 2015). [http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/sports/2015/08/01/fergie-topples-king-david-kiprop-sum-soar/ ‘Fergie’ topples ‘King David’, Kiprop, Sum soar]. Capital FM. Retrieved on 2015-08-02.[http://www.iaaf.org/records/toplists/hurdles/400-metres-hurdles/outdoor/men/senior/2015 400 Metres Hurdles - men - senior - outdoor - 2015]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2 August 2015. At the 2015 World Athletics Championships in Beijing, Bett achieved his biggest result, winning the 400 metres hurdles event with a time of 47.79 seconds.{{cite news |work=Daily Nation |url=https://www.nation.co.ke/sports/athletics/Nicholas-Bett-wins-Kenya-first-400m-hurdles-gold/1100-2845742-12hieva/index.html |title=Nicholas Bett wins Kenya first ever 400m hurdles gold at Worlds |access-date=9 August 2018 |last=Ayodi |first=Ayumba |date=25 August 2015}} Bett's win was Kenya's first in the history of the World Championships, for an event shorter than 800 metres.{{cite news |work=IAAF |url=https://www.iaaf.org/news/report/beijing-2015-mens-400m-hurdles-final |title=Report: Men'S 400m Hurdles Final – IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015 |access-date=9 August 2018 |date=25 August 2015}} Bett's Beijing run was the fastest time for the distance in the whole of the 2015 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.iaaf.org/records/toplists/hurdles/400-metres-hurdles/outdoor/men/senior/2015?regionType=world&timing=electronic&page=1&bestResultsOnly=true|title=Senior Outdoor 2015 400 Metres Hurdles Men|publisher=International Association of Athletics Federations|access-date=9 August 2018}}

Bett had a poor start to the 2016 season, with a season's best time of 49.31 going into the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.{{cite news |work=IAAF |title=PREVIEW: MEN'S 400M HURDLES – RIO 2016 OLYMPIC GAMES |date=10 August 2016 |url=https://www.iaaf.org/news/preview/rio-2016-mens-400m-hurdles}} However, Bett was still considered one of the favourites for the 400 metres hurdles event, following his 2015 World Championships win.{{cite news |title=Kenya's world champion Nicholas Bett stumbles on final hurdle, fails to qualify for 400 meter |last=Stubbs |first=Roman |date=15 August 2016 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=9 August 2016 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/olympics/2016/live-updates/rio-games/scores-and-latest-news/kenyas-world-champion-nicholas-bett-stumbles-on-final-hurdle-fails-to-qualify-for-400-meter/?noredirect=on}} However, he made a mistake in the preliminary round when he tripped over the 10th and final hurdle whilst in second place. He eventually finished last in the heat, but was disqualified anyway, and failed to reach the semifinal.

Personal life

Bett's twin brother, Aron Koech, is also a 400 metres hurdler.[https://citizentv.co.ke/sports/champion-bett-out-as-twin-brother-koech-mucheru-sail-through-137238/ Champion Bett out as twin brother Koech, Mucheru sail through]

Death

Bett died in a road accident near the town of Lessos, in Nandi County, Kenya, in the early morning of 8 August 2018.{{cite news |date=8 August 2018 |title=Shock, grief as ex-World champ Nicholas Bett dies in tragic accident |last=Matoke |first=Tom |work=Daily Nation |url=https://www.nation.co.ke/sports/athletics/-Nicholas-Bett-dies-in-Nandi-road-crash/1100-4702938-u5p43tz/index.html}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/aug/08/nicholas-bett-dies-car-crash-world-400m-hurdles|title=Former world 400m hurdles champion Nicholas Bett dies in car crash aged 28|agency=Associated Press|date=2018-08-08|website=The Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-08-08}} He had arrived back from the 2018 African Championships in Athletics in Nigeria two days earlier, and was driving along the Kapsabet to Eldoret road on his way back to Nairobi.{{cite news |date=8 August 2018 |title=Nicholas Bett dead: World Champion 400m hurdler dies after car crashes into a ditch |work=MSN |url=https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/nicholas-bett-dead-world-champion-400m-hurdler-dies-after-car-crashes-into-a-ditch/ar-BBLDQ8o?li=BBoPWjQ&ocid=wispr |last=Gilpin |first=Andrew}} According to the local police commander, Bett lost control of his car, a Toyota Prado SUV, which then hit a bump in the road and landed in a ditch, killing the athlete instantly.