Bernard Lagat

Bernard Kipchirchir Lagat (born December 12, 1974, Kapsabet, Kenya) is a middle and long distance champion athlete who now represents the United States. In July, 2008, Lagat won the US Olympic Trials in the 1500 m and 5000 m, making the US Olympic team in both events. In August 2009, he won the 5000m silver and 1500m bronze medal at the 2009

World Championships in Berlin. Lagat, now a Kenyan American, was born in Kaptel village, near Kapsabet town in Nandi District. His date of birth coincides with Jamhuri Day, the independence day of Kenya. He is a Nandi, sub-tribe of the Kalenjin people. He graduated from the Kaptel High School in 1994, where he had started his athletics career. He joined Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Nairobi 1996. Later in the same year he moved to Washington State University. In 2000, Lagat graduated from Washington State University—as athletic greats Henry Rono and Michael Kosgei from Kenya had done before him—with a degree in management information systems. A large number of Lagat's siblings have also competed in athletics; his older sister Mary Chepkemboi won the 3000 m at the 1994 African Championships in Athletics. Lagat