Ezekiel Kemboi

Ezekiel Kemboi Cheboi (born 25 May 1982) is a Kenyan professional athlete, winner of the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Quotes It is a great time for me here in Berlin. In 2003 I took silver in Paris, I took silver also in 2005 in Helsinki and in Osaka 2007 it was also silver, now it is golden Berlin. I stayed patient and I reached my target. My family supported me a lot and also my coach Moses Kiptanui. I knew that French runners were strong and it could have been even 2 medals for France. But I am glad we managed it with Mateelong. I changed my T- shirt for the Spanish footbal dress. But I cannot say that I have some favorite footbal team. In every country I support different team. I am very satisfied today, I won a silver medal. And again, I achieved a new PB. Our tactics was to stay together as long as possible. With only 50m to go, I had to let go Kemboi. But believe me, I am really rejoicing! I didn't have pleasure during the race, because I didn't want to think about the medal. All that mattered was to stay relaxed as long as possible. I didn't worry in the last 250m, because I knew I could get over the last barrier with any leg and then try to catch some runners in the final sprint. I guess that the turning point in my mental came at the European indoor championships when I decided to stick to the English runner whatever happens. At least I would have tried. The European record is to show that I'm still there at my age and answers the expectations that lot of people put on me. This medal is not and end, just a step in my career. There still are the European champs, World Championships and the Olympics to come. Gold - Ezekiel KEMBOI, KEN, August 18 2009 I realized after high school that I had a talent and then started training.  I had faith and confidence and then became Kemboi. When we were in high school we used to participate in inter-classes and inter-dormitories events but back then I did not take the sport seriously. It didn't bother me when I fail to win a race because my opponents also deserved a chance to win. As a sportsman, everyone is a winner and it is good to accept the results. Ezekiel Kemboi: The Entertainer Who Won It All on the Track, n.d I won everything, all the medals, and it’s like in politics, you can’t be president and come back to be an MCA. The guys in that race were very strong. I remember around five guys who had participated in Diamond league, and I emerged a winner. That was the best race for me. Some guy from Eritrea pushed me and I lost momentum, I then stepped on the inner lane and it’s a rule when you step you get disqualified. It was good for me because sometimes it’s good to have ups and downs. The boys are not doing well and I think they have lost focus. They need to train and remain focused in what they do. As you can see Ethiopia and Morocco have come out strongly. I hope we will get a medal in Rio Olympics. My record speaks for itself," Kemboi says of decision to quit the track, July 7 2021 As you can see, most of the athletes have opted to compete in road races due to the prize money but to me, money is nothing. I do sports because I love it. I was approached a long time ago to run for countries like Qatar but I said no, money would not change my nationality and I will remain like that forever. The athletes should be appreciated more because in other countries when athletes win medals, they are given cars or houses but in Kenya, the appreciation is not enough. We’ve done a lot for this country and we need to be recognised more. We have no strong people in Kenya now, you remember during our time we had Brimin Kipruto, Richard Mateelong and myself. I think we need to start up some academies because it was a Kenyan race. But now it has gone to Ethiopia and Morocco and I’m not so happy about that. So many people stop me to ask about what happened in steeplechase and I retired a long time ago, honorably. We have a lot of young talents and our coaches should identify those who can do steeplechase more than me. It’s for Athletics Kenya and the Olympic Committee to plan and see how things will go and find good coaches. 'Money is nothing' - Ezekiel Kemboi on rejecting nationality switch & why Kenya should value athletes more, January 09 2025. This place has shaped my life. Around 1998, I started running here when it was just a muddy ground with no proper stands. It has come a long way. About 6–7 years ago, before this stadium was fitted with a tartan track, just across the road there was a slaughterhouse, so cattle used to come and graze on the field. At the same time, people would also use it for drying maize, sometimes in the afternoons when there were no training sessions. This is not just land. It is a sports facility, It should never have reached that level. Ezekiel Kemboi relives glory days at Kipchoge Keino Stadium, APRIL 23 2026 I started with silver in Paris (in 2003), then I won two more silvers in Helsinki 2005 and Osaka 2007. In 2009 I graduated to gold in Berlin before winning again in Daegu 2011 and now in Moscow 2013 I am the king. I say thank you to Moscow. I ran a lap of honour as a sign of respect for the city which is hosting the World Championship. It was a plan to go in the front in the first kilometre before leaving the initiative to Paul Kipsiele Koech in the second kilometre. First congratulations to Ezekiel. I was disappointed at first but I appreciate that I got to the silver medal while still a junior athlete. Kenya worked as a team but at the end it was a championship race and everybody wants to win. I enjoy listening to music, going to parties and concerts. I was a DJ at school parties. It was good to have the same hairstyle as at the Olympics. I wanted to start training for the Marathon but my coach Moses Kiptanui and my manager Enrico Dionisi told me that I was still strong in the 3000m steeplechase and insisted that I continue to run on the track. I enjoy living in Siena. It’s my second home. I live Italian people and Italian food. I have a lot of friends there. I enjoy going out for dinner and watching football matches of the local Siena football team. Kemboi emulates his coach Kiptanui with three-peat over the barriers, August 16 2014 External links Category:Track and field athletes Category:1982 births Category:Sportspeople from Kenya Category:Living people