Eunice Jepkoech Sum (born 10 April 1988) is a Kenyan middle-distance runner who specializes in the 800 metres. She was the 2013 World champion and won the bronze medal in 2015. Sum took a silver and a gold at the 2012 and 2014 African Championships in Athletics respectively. She was also 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist and a three-time successive Diamond League winner in 2013–15.
 Sum at the 2016 Rio Olympics | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 10 April 1988 (age 36) Kesses, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya |
| Height | 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) |
| Weight | 54 kg (119 lb)[1] |
| Sport | |
| Country | Kenya |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | Middle-distance running |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best | |
Medal record | |
Career
editSum was born in the village of Kesses in Uasin Gishu County in the former Rift Valley Province and competed in the heptathlon and handball at school. She gave birth to a daughter Diana Jeruto in 2008 and only began a full-time athletics career in 2009 after being spotted competing in a heptathlon event by former 800 metres world champion Janeth Jepkosgei. At her invitation, Sum moved to Eldoret to train with Jepkosgei's group.[2][3]
She made her international championship début in the 800 metres at the 2010 African Championships in Athletics in Nairobi, but failed to make the final. In 2011, Sum set a personal best time of 1:59.66 in finishing second over 800 m at the Kenyan championships. This performance qualified Sum for the event at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea, where she reached the semi-finals.[3]
Sum won a silver medal – her first medal in international competition – in the 800 m at the 2012 African Championships in Athletics in Porto-Novo, Benin. She ran a personal best of 1:59.13 in the final, finishing two hundredths of a second behind Burundi's Francine Niyonsaba.[4] Sum then competed in the 1500 m at the London Olympics, but finished a disappointing 10th in her heat and failed to qualify for the semi-finals.[3]
Sum progressed to the highest ranks of international competition in 2013, reaching her first global final and defeating Olympic champion and home favourite Mariya Savinova to win a surprise 800 m gold in a personal best time of 1:57.38 at the World Championships in Moscow.[5] The Kenyan defeated Savinova again at the Weltklasse Zürich meeting to add the 2013 Diamond League crown in the 800 m to her world title.[6] She won the 800 m at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.[7]
Personal life
editSum is the first cousin of Alfred Kirwa Yego, the 2007 world champion in the 800 metres.[2] She is a fan of Chelsea FC.[3]
Achievements
editInternational competitions
edit| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | African Championships | Nairobi, Kenya | 9th (h) | 800 m | 2:08.71 |
| 2011 | World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | 13th (sf) | 800 m | 1:59.94 |
| 2012 | African Championships | Porto-Novo, Benin | 2nd | 800 m | 1:59.13 |
| Olympic Games | London, United Kingdom | 38th (h) | 1500 m | 4:16.95 | |
| 2013 | World Championships | Moscow, Russia | 1st | 800 m | 1:57.38 |
| 2014 | World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas | 2nd | 4×800 m relay | 8:04.28 |
| Commonwealth Games | Glasgow, United Kingdom | 1st | 800 m | 2:00.31 | |
| African Championships | Marrakesh, Morocco | 1st | 800 m | 1:59.45 | |
| Continental Cup | Marrakesh, Morocco | 1st | 800 m | 1:58.21 | |
| 2015 | World Championships | Beijing, China | 3rd | 800 m | 1:58.18 |
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 19th (sf) | 800 m | 2:00.88 |
| 2018 | African Championships | Asaba, Nigeria | 9th (h) | 800 m | 2:03.38 |
| 2019 | World Championships | Doha, Qatar | 5th | 800 m | 1:59.71 |
| 2021 | Olympic Games | Tokyo, Japan | 34th (h) | 800 m | 2:03.00 |
Circuit wins and titles, National championships
edit- Diamond League 800 m overall winner (3):
2013,
- 800 metres wins, other events specified in parentheses
- 2013 (2): Stockholm DN Galan, Zürich Weltklasse
- 2014 (4): Doha Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix, Rome Golden Gala, Oslo Bislett Games (SB), Lausanne Athletissima (SB)
- 2015 (5): Shanghai Golden Grand Prix, Eugene Prefontaine Classic (WL), Paris Meeting (WL), London Anniversary Games, Zürich
- Kenyan Athletics Championships
- 800 metres (2): 2012, 2014
Personal bests
edit- 800 metres 1:56.99 (Paris 2015)
- 1500 metres 4:01.54 (Eugene 2014)
- 3000 metres 8:53.12 (Eugene 2012)
References
edit- ^ Eunice Jepkoech Sum Archived 26 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine. rio2016.com
- ^ a b Sum rolls to Daegu under Jepkosgei's wing. Capital FM. 3 August 2011. (Retrieved on 2014-08-25).
- ^ a b c d Sub two zero sum game. IAAF. 13 May 2014. (Retrieved on 2014-08-25).
- ^ Watta, Evelyn. Burundian teen Niyonsaba takes dramatic 800m title as Nigeria top medal table in Porto Novo. IAAF. 2 July 2012. (Retrieved on 2014-08-25).
- ^ Landells, Steve. Report: Women's 800m final – Moscow 2013. IAAF. 18 August 2013. (Retrieved on 2014-08-25).
- ^ Whittington, Jessica. Diamond League titles decided in Zurich Archived 26 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Athletics Weekly. 29 August 2013. (Retrieved on 2014-08-25).
- ^ "Glasgow 2014 - Eunice jepkoech Sum Profile". g2014results.thecgf.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 July 2017.