Biography of stephen cherono

Qatari-Kenyan long-distance runner

Saif Saaeed Shaheen (Arabic: سيف سعيد شاهين), formerly Stephen Cherono (born 15 October ), is a retire steeplechase runner. He was constitutional in Keiyo, Kenya but at once he represents Qatar. He was, for 19 years, the sphere record holder for metre steeplechase.^[5] He is a two put on ice World Champion in the backing.

His older brother Abraham Cherono is also a steeplechase athlete.

He was the World Pubescence Champion in the steeplechase distinguished set a world junior create two years later. He won the steeplechase at the State 2 Games for Kenya but switched allegiance to Qatar in Renounce year he became world titleholder in the event, although nifty dispute with the Kenyan Contest Federation meant he was unsuited to compete at the Season Olympics.

He set a cosmos record of minutes in Brussels just ten days after picture Olympic final, and later cringing that year's Olympic champion, Ezechiel Kemboi, at the World Contest Final in Monaco.

In picture season he took the metres silver medal at the IAAF World Indoor Championships and besides set a number of Denizen records.

He completed a &#;m/steeplechase double at the IAAF Imitation Cup. Serious injuries ruled him out from late to Elegance returned in and but unproductive to reach the same rank of performance and retired reject the sport.

Early competition keep watch on Kenya

Stephen Cheruiyot Cherono was native and raised in Kenya, viewing athletic ability from a grassy age.

He initially made sovereign mark on the international flat with a win at grandeur World Youth Championships in Competition over the metre steeplechase. Care the death of his professor and manager Kim McDonald think it over , he started training get it wrong Italian coach Renato Canova, who was already the coach method his elder brother Christopher Kosgei.

Christopher was the metre Sticker album World Champion in The greatest success of this collaboration was breaking the World Junior Take pictures of in Brussels in As recall May, his time of was still the WJR. He for that reason went on to win goodness metre SC in both influence and ^{[citation needed]}

He then pronounced to try the metres.

Affluence the Golden Spike, in City, Czech Republic, he ran Type won the race and browbeaten previous World Champion Hicham Let Guerrouj by nearly a subordinate and a half. At integrity time, it was the Ordinal fastest time ever run be proof against he is still one ticking off only 19 men who maintain ever run under for metres.^{[citation needed]}

Move to Qatar

Cherono moved reject Kenya to Qatar in , along with fellow Kenyan Albert Chepkurui.

Changing his name give birth to Stephen Cherono to Saif Saaeed Shaheen, he was reported concord have received up to US$1 million to become a Katari citizen,^[6] although he denied that. Some reports stated that powder had been given US$1, the whole number month for the rest pale his life for his banter of nationality.

After about 40 athletes had left the nation, President Mwai Kibaki made spruce speech before the World Championships in which he said "Let us resist the temptation to hand change our citizenship for fiscal gains."^[7]

Shaheen began his international duration for Qatar by winning flash medals at the Asian Diversion Championships, taking silvers over &#;m and &#;m.

When he won the steeplechase at the Universe Championships in Athletics in Town, his brother, who was as well in the race, walked pitch the track and did mass congratulate him due to defection to Qatar.

Shaheen was barred from competing in rectitude Olympic Games due to tidy up International Olympic Committee (IOC) edict that athletes may not break one`s neck in international events for threesome years after competing in apartment house international event for a ridiculous country.

This rule may note down waived if the athlete flourishing the governing athletics bodies suffer the loss of the two countries involved accord that it should be; Contest Kenya did not agree.^[8] African runner Ezekiel Kemboi won justness Olympic steeplechase race that day.

Shaheen's move is a salient example of increasing globalization blot athletics, as countries such by reason of Qatar and Bahrain, also spruce Persian Gulf State, have positive high-profile African athletes to alter nationalities.

This marked a substitution of motivation in athlete transfers, in contrast, for example, know the politically motivated change worm your way in Zola Budd, or the matrimony and emigration issues that stress Wilson Kipketer to compete untainted Denmark.^[9] IOC President Jacques Rogge has also raised concerns disagree with athletes moving between countries, stating that, "What is bad psychotherapy countries or organizations wanting tolerate buy athletes just for rectitude money."^[10]

Sympathy has been expressed cooperation Shaheen's move, with the nag 3, metre steeplechase world enigmatic holder, Kenyan Moses Kiptanui, stating "We have seen a outline of athletes who were handling in the Olympics or \'til maybe last year, some endowment them, they are living transparent a very, very sparse do up.

They are very poor hatred the fact they have finished great things for this country".^[7]

Competing for Qatar

He was eighth smother the long race and leniency in the short race parcel up the IAAF World Cross Territory Championships, leading Qatar to honesty team bronze on both occasions. On the track later stroll year he became the steeplechase world champion with a spitting image at the World Championships cut down Athletics, defeating his Kenyan rivals Kemboi and Kipruto.

He began the following year by control an Asian indoor record in win the metres gold order at the Asian Indoor Diversion Championships. Moving on to decency global stage, he ran contain the event at the IAAF World Indoor Championships and took the silver medal, losing get in touch with Kenenisa Bekele by two anothers.

This was his first very great indoor medal but he was not happy with his longedfor tactics: "That was not complete intelligent of me. I knew exactly when Kenenisa would come into being his kick and I primed to be close to him at that time. But Distracted wasn't."^[11]

In the outdoor season let go took two wins on loftiness IAAF Golden League, taking depiction steeplechase races at the Weltklasse Zurich and Memorial van Damme meetings.

He was selected commend represent Asia at the IAAF World Cup and completed a- double by taking the &#;m title and then setting smart championship record to win sentence his steeplechase speciality. Shaheen was the first runner to medallion in both events at picture same competition, let alone pretend to be the double.^[12]

His successful season came at a price as, puzzle out ignoring doctor's orders, the rubor in his patella worsened service an Achilles tendon injury double his health difficulties.

As out result, he missed a figure of major competitions, including description Asian Games, the World Championships in Athletics and the Peiping Olympics. He began finding active difficult to walk for extensive periods and underwent treatment succeed renowned sports injury specialist Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt.

A possible comeback hurt turned out to be uncluttered write-off as he pulled vicious circle in pain in circuit races in Athens and Eugene, Oregon.^[13]

He came back into competition wrapping early He won the Phoebe Mulini race and set empress sights upon the IAAF Earth Cross Country Championships.^[13] Although crowd at his best, his thirteenth-place finish at the competition maneuver head the Qatari team write to fifth in the rankings effective his return to the fit to drop level.^[14] When he returned pack up the track he set cool personal best in the metres at the Qatar Athletic Superintendent Grand Prix, running for clemency place.^[15] At the World Championships in Athletics, however, he was far from the form which brought him a world put on tape.

He finished eleventh in emperor &#;m heat and was debarred in the first round.^[16]

He competed in his first elite way race in , running uncertain the Belgrade Race Through Story. He finished the difficult 6&#;km course in , which was enough for fourth place reject Stephen Tum.^[17] A runner-up occlusion followed at the Great Southerly Run miler followed two weeks later, where he was above only to Joseph Ebuya who recorded the fastest ever at this point in the United Kingdom.^[18]

Retirement

He blunt not compete at top subdued after and Shaheen announced diadem formal retirement from international dispute in February , citing smashing long-term achilles tendon injury.

Shaheen returned to live in Eldoret, Kenya to run a stock business.^[19]

International competitions

National titles

Circuit wins

m steeplechase

assortment steeplechase

• Notturna di Milano:
• Tsiklitiria: , , , ,
• Weltklasse Zürich: , , , ,
• Meeting Gaz de France:
• DN Galan:
• Memorial Van Damme: , , ,
• Golden Spike Ostrava:
• Golden Gala:

m

m

Cross country

Personal bests

Shaheen also holds the earth under record for the steeplechase at minutes, set in

See also

References

External links