John Ngugi

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John Ngugi Kamau (born May 10, 1962 in Nyahururu, Laikipia)^[1] is a former Kenyan athlete, winner of 5000 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics.

Born in Nyahururu, Kenya, John Ngugi's earliest international successes came at the World Cross Country Championships, where he won a record four consecutive titles between 1986 and 1989 and five titles overall.

Ngugi established himself as a track runner when he won his heat of the 5000 m at the 1987 World Championships in Rome. In the final, Ngugi took the lead during the second kilometre, but despite his front running tactics, he was outsprinted in the finish, finishing in a disappointing twelfth place. He won 5000 metres race in the 1987 All-Africa Games held in Kenya.

At the Seoul Olympic Games, Ngugi took the lead after the kilometre and achieved a 50 m lead. Although his lead was reduced when the expected sprints came in the last lap, Ngugi still managed to win by 30 metres.

At the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand, Ngugi tried exactly the same tactics which had won him the Olympic gold medal. Although he tripped and fell after only two laps and lost 35 m on the rest of the field, he managed to catch the leading group and establish a gap of 40 m at the bell. But in this time, that wasn't enough, as Andrew Lloyd from Australia won by a mere 0.08 seconds in an incredible finishing burst.

Ngugi returned in 1992 to capture the World Cross Country title for the fifth time.

That was Ngugi's final appearance at a major international championships before his retirement. In 1993 Ngugi refused to take an out-of-competition drug test^[2], and initially received a four-year suspension later reduced to two years due to 'extraordinary circumstances'. This effectively ended his career.

[edit] References

• IAAF profile for John Ngugi

This article does not cite any references or sources. (June 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

[edit] External links

• Legends of the cross
• Okoth, Omulo. "A Kenyan XC legend - John Ngugi", IAAF, 15 March 2007. Retrieved on 2007-03-17. 

Sporting positions
Preceded by Carlos Lopes	IAAF Men's World Cross Country Champion 1986 – 1989	Succeeded by Khalid Skah
Preceded by Saïd Aouita	Men's 5,000 m Best Year Performance 1988	Succeeded by Yobes Ondieki
Preceded by Khalid Skah	IAAF Men's World Cross Country Champion 1992	Succeeded by William Sigei