R.I.P. Kipkemboi Kimeli

Won World Cross junior barefoot in 1985?

The young age of these Kenyans dying in droves makes you wonder if they are immune suppressed in some way.

He was a bronze medallist in the Seoul 1988 olympics in the 10,000 meters.

some photos of him in the 1990 Boston Marathon

http://www.juanjosemartinez.com.mx/Boston90.html

When I was living in Abq., I met him while he was working in a laundromat. Very humble, polite and gracious. He appeared very surprised that I knew who he was.

RIP

Sad news. I managed a few races for him years ago. Quiet and unassuming. Sad to hear.

that race was probably greatest quality 10k race of past 38y ( since munich ) - because in the oppresive conditions, the top 3 were running at wr pace until last 3k when it turned into a tactical affair & all 3 were capable of breaking mamede's then 27'13wr :

look at page 230 here :

http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1988/1988v2p2.pdf

kimeli made the race & tried to break boutayeb but had little assistance from his colleague moses tanui who cracked in the 6th km ( he was just a pup ) - boutayeb hung on & surged after about 7k & held on

leader's splits & projected 10k time

2'41.74 ->26'57 !

5'29.37 ->27'26

8.07.78 ->27'05 !

10'50.05 ->27'05 !

13'35.32 ->27'10 !

16'20.07 ->27'13 !

19'04.56 ->27'15

21'50.17 ->27'17

24'35.79 ->27'19 !

27'21.46

boutayeb was easily capable of wr that day in a championship race in brutal conditions - he in fact eased off significantly in last 400m & almost walked to the line celebrating - if he'd run same race pace between 9k - 9600m & put in a very possible 59s, he wouda had the wr

As far as quality, you might be right Ventolin. As far as excitement, it might be difficult to top the 1983 10000 in Helsinki.

Alberto Cova 28:01.04

Werner Schildhauer 28:01.18

Hansjorg Kunze 28:01.26

Martii Vaino 28:01.37

Gidamis Shahanga 28:01.93

I had forgotten that Kimeli was that good. Wow. RIP.

Kimeli came to Germany in early 1987. He only had the clothes on his body and 6 $ with him. Then started to train under Walter Abmayr in Heidelberg. One and a half years later he became a olympic medalist.

R.I.P Kipkemboi Kimeli.

WHAT?! PNEUMONIA AND TUBERCULOSIS? Didn't this guy have health ins-

Oh.

I wonder if all the right-wing flat-earth Christianist kooks think it's ok this guy died in Albuquerque New Mexico USA of two eminently treatable and curable diseases?

For every person on the entire planet who dies in a terrorist attack, 50 people in this country die because of a lack of adequate health care.

I thought the desert air was supposed to be good for lung ailments? Were the diseases actually symptoms of a ... more severe disease?

It is a bit ironic that we talk about going over and saving the Africans in their home countries when we can't even keep them alive in North America.

Rest in peace Kipkemboi Kimeli. My thoughts are with your family.

Hey wdgdsf,

Why would someone denigrate this sad news by trying to make this political? This would be akin to calling out the liberal Massachusetts people for not coming to the aid of Stephen Koech and Samson Obwocha who died in the streets of Boston within the past couple of years. In fact, New Mexico is a rather liberal state as well.

Truth is, most Kenyans are proud people who don't always ask for help. Reaching out to one of those "Christianist" churches might have been a step in the right direction and a reminder that there are always people in need.

you nuts are the ones who made it political. i'm stating a fact.

I knew that Stephen Koech had died homeless on the streets of Peabody a few years back, but was not aware that Samson Obwocha passed?

Weren't they teamates at Texas?

Stephen and Samson were at East Texas State, now called Texas A&M- Commerce. In fact, Stephen helped recruit Samson and a guy named Agapius Masong.

Looking at the 1988 Olympic 10000, it is interesting that Kimeli won his heat in 28:00, finishing 8 seconds ahead of the next finisher...he could have saved quite a bit and easily qualified for the final.

wdgdsf wrote:

you nuts are the ones who made it political. i'm stating a fact.

It's ok that you made it political. Our country, the great United States of America, is civilized and uncivilized in many ways. The Death Penalty and the lack of universal health care are some of our uncivilized attributes.

Jason

MAYEROFF wrote:

wdgdsf wrote:

you nuts are the ones who made it political. i'm stating a fact.

It's ok that you made it political. Our country, the great United States of America, is civilized and uncivilized in many ways. The Death Penalty and the lack of universal health care are some of our uncivilized attributes.

Jason

Progressivism strikes again...hard! Time to learn some history guys. To wdgdsf: Fa-cough!

wdgdsf wrote:

WHAT?! PNEUMONIA AND TUBERCULOSIS?

I don't think the point of this thread is to turn this into a political discussion.

My first thought however was "aren't those treatable?"

And no health insurance or not, a hospital is going to treat you. Maybe he waited too long to go in?

Regardless it is very sad.

I was not familiar with him but I'm glad to hear he was well liked. RIP

I remember him at the Bolder Boulder twenty years ago. (I think he finished second, behind Martin Pitayo.) I never saw or heard anything more about him after that. I had no idea that he stayed in the U.S. and remained active in the running community. Sounds like a good man who will be greatly missed by those who knew him.