Question 1

True or false: Wilson Kipketer never won an Olympic gold medal in the 800 meters.

Accepted Answer

True. Wilson Kipketer won silver in 2000 and bronze in 2004 in the 800m. He missed the 1996 Olympics because Kenya blocked his transfer to Denmark, leaving him without a gold medal.

Question 2

True or false: Wilson Kipketer broke the men's 800m world record in 1997.

Accepted Answer

True. He set a time of 1:41.11, which stood until David Rudisha broke it in 2010.

Question 3

True or false: Kipketer’s 800m world record of 1:41.11 stood for over 20 years.

Accepted Answer

False. Set in 1997, his 1:41.11 world record stood for 13 years, until David Rudisha broke it in 2010. It did not stand for over 20 years.

Question 4

True or false: Wilson Kipketer ran the 800m world record while still a Kenyan citizen.

Accepted Answer

False. He ran his first world record (1:41.73) in 1997 after becoming a Danish citizen in 1994.

Question 5

True or false: Wilson Kipketer was the first person to run 800 meters under 1 minute 42 seconds.

Accepted Answer

False. Sebastian Coe first ran under 1:42 (1:41.73) in 1981; Kipketer was the second.

Question 6

True or false: Kipketer was banned from athletics for two years for doping.

Accepted Answer

False. He was banned for one year in 1992 for a failed test, but it was later reduced; he never served a two-year ban.

Question 7

True or false: Kipketer’s Danish coach was a former Olympic champion in the 1500m.

Accepted Answer

False. His coach was Poul Erik Nielsen, a Danish middle-distance runner but not an Olympic champion.

Question 8

True or false: Kipketer broke the 800m world record three times in one week in 1997.

Accepted Answer

False. He broke it twice in 1997: 1:41.24 on August 13 in Zurich and 1:41.11 on August 24 in Cologne—11 days apart, not one week. He also tied the record on July 7, but tying is not breaking.

Wilson Kipketer Trivia Questions