Who is Olympian Bernard Lagat

Lagat, now a Kenyan American, was born in Kaptel village, near Kapsabet town in Nandi District. His date of birth coincides with Jamhuri Day, the independence day of Kenya. He is a Nandi, sub-tribe of the Kalenjin people. He graduated from the Kaptel High School in 1994, where he had started his athletics career.

He joined Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Nairobi 1996. Later in the same year he moved to Washington State University. In 2000, Lagat graduated from Washington State University --as athletic greats Henry Rono and Michael Kosgei from Kenya had done before him-- with a degree in management information systems.

Lagat's older sister Mary Chepkemboi is also a runner and African Champion from 1994....(read more)

Bernard Lagat became the latest casualty when he failed to qualify for the final in the 1500-meter at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

Lagat, running in the second semifinal of the event, needed to finish in the top five of his heat to automatically qualify but instead finished sixth and eventually missed the cut for the final as the top five from each heat plus the next two fastest times advanced. Lagat missed out on the last spot in the final by .02 seconds.

A sore left Achilles' tendon has been hurting Lagat since the U.S. Olympic trials, he said after Saturday's race. He missed three weeks of training before the Olympics, feeling like his Achilles was going to blow out during every stride.

A less than 100% Lagat proved no match for Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele, who dominated the 5,000 field by finishing in 12 minutes, 57.82 seconds, adding gold to the 10,000 title he won earlier in the games.

Track & Field - Men's 5000 Final
Sat Aug 23 8:10am EDT

Gold: ETH Kenenisa Bekele
12:57.82
Silver: KEN Eliud Kipchoge
13:02.80
Bronze: KEN Edwin Cheruiyot Soi
13:06.22
4th UGA Moses Ndiema Kipsiro
13:10.56
5th Abreham Cherkos Feleke
13:16.46
6th ETH Tariku Bekele
13:19.06
7th MEX Juan Luis Barrios
13:19.79
8th QAT James Kwalia C'Kurui
13:23.48
9th USA Bernard Lagat
13:26.89
10th ERI Kidane Tadesse Habtesilase
13:28.40
11th ESP Aelemayehu Bezabeh
13:30.48
12th KEN Thomas Pkemei Longosiwa
13:31.34
13th USA Matthew Tegenkamp
13:33.13
14th ESP Jesus Espana
13:55.94
IRL Alistair Cragg
DNF