What happened to Venuste Nyongabo ?

Italy? There was/is a rumour that Venuste Nyongabo = Hadd.

Lives in Italy, has made several attempts at a comebcak but with little success, he ran about 14.00 in the Italian champs last year

Hadd ? Forgive my ignorance, please explain.

Venuste was operated two times after winning OG. He had problems at his tendons. He tried a come back, but it was not possible to train again at top level of intensity and quantity. He is now italian, his wife is from Siena, where they live. He has a very nice baby. He continues running for fun : during Roma-Ostia HM he ran in 1:17, together some friend running with him for fun. He is a very nice person, loved by all people that has the fortune to know him.

I'm really sorry to hear that, his career must have ended very young, he was a fantastic athlete and had loads of potential at 5k which he never really got to fulfill.

waz wrote:

I'm really sorry to hear that, his career must have ended very young, he was a fantastic athlete and had loads of potential at 5k which he never really got to fulfill.

I'd say winning an olympic gold medal is fulfilling your potential.

That Olympic 5k race is one of my favorite races of all time. Niyongabo showed what a class act he was by letting one of his countrymen run in the 1500 and he ran the 5000, even though the 1500 was his specialty and he ran only 1 5000 prior to the Olympic prelim. Niyongabo ran that race perfectly. He was relaxed and just stayed near the front the entire race up until 500 to go. Then, he made his decisive move. I remember the announcers commenting "Niyongabo, unable to control himself!" And he took off. From about 450 to go until 100 to go, he was flying. And man did he look effortless. I can still hear the announcers as he was coming around the final turn "Venuste Niyongabo, from the war-torn country of Burundi." Burundi during that time was just an absolute nightmare. Sitting there with Rwanda and Somalia as the last possible places on Earth in which you would want to find yourself. Interesting juxtaposition (think that's the right word) of the state of his country and Niyongabo out front alone in the camera in full flight. Seemed to me that he was running for (or from) a lot more than a gold medal. They commented at the end how he wouldn't even reveal his tribal affliation because he didn't want to exacerbate the divide.

I also always thought the singlet he was wearing was really cool.

http://www.sporting-heroes.net/athletics-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=464

Renato, thanks for providing us with an update. I'm glad to hear that he is doing well now.

Is it true that Venuste was trained by the same coach that trains Wilson Kipketer (the 800 meter runner, not the steeplechaser)? Now that he is no longer competing he might be willing to share his training.

Rift Runner wrote:

Hadd ? Forgive my ignorance, please explain.

just a letsrun rumour, probably not true. This time last year Hadd was probably posting from somewhere further East than Italy, looking at the times of day he was posting.

Thanks for the info Renato. Feared that he may of been caught up in all the blood letting.

hey Rift Runner, do you think Renato will understand what blood letting means? It's not a commonly used expression.

morceli1978 wrote:

That Olympic 5k race is one of my favorite races of all time. Niyongabo showed what a class act he was by letting one of his countrymen run in the 1500 and he ran the 5000, even though the 1500.

Niyongabo wasn't running the 5k so his fellow countryman could run teh 15, if that is what you suggest. He was running it because it was by far the weakest field in the distace races. He was fed up being beaten by morceli/cacho/eli-G and the 5k represented his best chance at gold (or any medal).

It was a slow race and he ran it well. It was a clever move to do the 5k but as a spectacle it can't really compare with the 15 or the 10, IMHO. It was a similar tactic as used by Coghlan in 83 or Aouita in 84.

Good thread. Niyongabo was a joy to watch especially in the 1500m on the circuit. Good to hear he's living well.

I have the videotape of 97 Zurich 1500m where he beats Morceli but loses to Cacho and El G in probably the fastest group 1500m ever up to that point. I seen him in the 97 Brussels 1500m also almost catching El G at the end