Kipyegon Bett

Kipyegon Bett (1 February 1998 – 6 October 2024) was a Kenyan middle-distance runner specialising in the 800 metres. Bett won the 800 metres at the 2016 World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland.^[1] He also came second in the 800 metres at the 2015 World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia.^[2] In the second meet of the 2017 IAAF Diamond League in Shanghai, Bett won the 800 m event in 1:44.70.^[3]

Kipyegon Bett

Bett (red shirt) in 2017
Personal information
Nationality	Kenyan
Born	(1998-02-01)1 February 1998
Died	6 October 2024(2024-10-06) (aged 26) Bomet County, Kenya
Sport
Country	Kenya
Sport	Track and field
Event	800 meters
Achievements and titles
Personal bests	800 m: 1:43.76 (Berlin 2016) 1000 m: 2:16.98 (Stockholm 2018)
Medal record Men's athletics World Championships 2017 London 800 m World Relay Championships 2017 Nassau 4×800 m relay

Bett won the bronze medal in the 800 metres at the 2017 World Championships held in London.^[4]

He tested positive for EPO in 2018^[5][6] and received a four-year ban in November of the same year.^[7]

He was the brother of Purity Kirui, a two-time Commonwealth Games 3000 m Steeplechase medallist.^[8]

Kipyegon Bett died from renal and hepatic failure^[9] on 6 October 2024, while receiving treatment at a hospital in Bomet County after being ill for over a month. He was 26.^[8]

Competition record

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing  Kenya
2015	African Youth Championships	Réduit, Mauritius	1st	800 m	1:51.67
	World Youth Championships	Cali, Colombia	2nd	800 m	1:45.86
2016	World U20 Championships	Bydgoszcz, Poland	1st	800 m	1:44.95
2017	World Relays	Nassau, Bahamas	2nd	4 × 800 m relay	7:13.70
	World Championships	London, United Kingdom	3rd	800 m	1:45:21

References

1. Mutuota, Mutwiri (24 July 2016). "Bett, Kirui strike gold as Kenya finishes 2nd in Poland". Retrieved 6 August 2016.
2. Landells, Steve (20 July 2015). "Cali 2015: Tarbei edges Bett in Kenyan 800m 1-2". Retrieved 6 August 2016.
3. "Bett stuns Rudisha to claim victory in Shanghai". Daily Nation. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
4. "800 Metres Men - Final" (PDF). 8 August 2017.
5. "Kipyegon Bett latest Kenyan athlete to test positive for EPO". eurosport.com. 24 August 2018. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
6. "World 800m bronze medallist Kipyegon Bett fails drug test - Olympic Channel". www.olympicchannel.com. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
7. "World 800m bronze medallist Bett given four-year ban in further blow to Kenyan athletics". insidethegames.biz. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
8. Ayodi, Ayumba; Kimutai, Vitalis (7 October 2024). "Former U-20 800m champion Kipyegon Bett dies in Bomet hospital". Daily Nation.
9. "Kenyan athlete Kipyegon Bett dies at the age of 26". Africanews. 8 October 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024.

External links

• Kipyegon Bett at World Athletics
• Kipyegon Bett at Diamond League