Kenyan-born Bahraini middle-distance runner
Abraham Kipchirchir Rotich (born 26 June 1993) is a Kenyan -born Bahraini middle-distance runner . Rotich won the 800 metres at the 2012 Diamond League meeting in Monaco .
Career
2012
Rotich opened his 2012 season at the Ostrava Golden Spike meeting on 25 May, placing third in the 800 metres in 1:45.52.[ 1] He then improved to 1:44.46 in Rehlingen three days later; both times were inside the Olympic qualification standards.[ 1] [ 2] However, he only placed fourth at the 2012 Kenyan Olympic trials,[ 1] missing out on an Olympic berth as the top three were selected.
He then clocked a new personal best of 1:43.62 at Liège on 5 July.[ 1] [ 3]
He improved further to 1:43.15 two days later at the Heusden-Zolder Night of Athletics ,[ 4] breaking the Kenyan junior record previously held by 2011 World Youth Champion Leonard Kosencha .[ 1] Only two other athletes had run faster in 2012.[ 4] Nevertheless, Rotich said he wasn't satisfied with the time.[ 4]
Rotich made his Diamond League debut on 20 July at Monaco .[ 1] He won the race in another new personal best of 1:43.13, beating Kosencha in a close finish.[ 5] [ 6] The field also included American Duane Solomon , who went on to place fourth at the Olympics three weeks later,[ 7] and Sudan 's 2011 World Championship silver medallist Abubaker Kaki .[ 5] [ 8] Rotich made another Diamond League appearance four weeks later at the Stockholm DN Galan , placing third behind Mohammed Aman and Taoufik Makhloufi .[ 1] In his last race in 2012, he beat Olympic bronze medallist Timothy Kitum over 1000 metres at Dubnica nad Váhom , Slovakia .[ 1] [ 9]
Track & Field News ranked Rotich #6 in the world at 800 m.[ 10] [ 11]
Doping violation and ban
In 2021, Rotich was issued with a four year competition ban for a doping violation due to the use of 19-noretiocholanolone and Norandrosterone.[ 12]
References
External links