View source for Janeth Jepkosgei

{{short description|Kenyan middle-distance runner}}
{{EngvarB|date=May 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox athlete
| name = Janeth Jepkosgei
| image = Janeth Jepkosgei 2010 Memorial Van damme.jpg
| imagesize = 180px
| caption = Jepkosgei at the 2010 [[Memorial Van Damme]].
| nationality = {{KEN}}
| sport = Track and field
| event = [[800 metres]]
| club =
| birth_name = Janeth Jepkosgei Busienei
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1983|12|13}}
| birth_place = [[Kabirirsang]], Kenya
| residence =
| death_date =
| Religion = 
| height = 
| weight =
| pb =
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Women's Athletics}}
{{MedalCountry | {{KEN}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalSilver| [[2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Beijing]] | [[Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's 800 metres|800 m]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[IAAF World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2007 World Championships in Athletics|2007 Osaka]]|[[2007 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 800 metres|800 m]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2009 World Championships in Athletics|2009 Berlin]]|[[2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 800 metres|800 m]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2011 World Championships in Athletics|2011 Daegu]]|[[2011 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 800 metres|800 m]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[IAAF Continental Cup|Continental Cup]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2010 IAAF Continental Cup|2010 Split]]|800&nbsp;m}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2006 IAAF World Cup|2006 Athens]]|800 m}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Commonwealth Games]]}}
{{MedalGold |[[2006 Commonwealth Games|2006 Melbourne]]|[[Athletics at the 2006 Commonwealth Games|800 m]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[IAAF World Junior Championships in Athletics|World Junior Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics|2002 Kingston]]|[[2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 800 metres|800 m]]}}
}}
'''Janeth Jepkosgei Busienei''' (born 13 December 1983) is a Kenyan [[Middle distance track event|middle distance]] runner and former world champion.

== Early career ==
Janeth, nicknamed "Eldoret Express" is from the Kenyan village of [[Kabirirsang]], near [[Kapsabet]]. Famous athletes [[Wilson Kipketer]] and [[Wilfred Bungei]] are also from the same village.<ref>The Standard, 2 April 2006: ''Sleepy village that produces track stars''</ref> She started athletics while at Kapsumbeiywo Primary School and took several events. Since 1998 she attended [[Sing'ore Girls High School]] near [[Iten]], famous for producing Kenyan women athletes. She won national secondary school championship in [[heptathlon]], while still at form one.<ref name="focus">IAAF: 28 August 2007: [http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/kenya/janeth-jepkosgei-busienei-171449 Focus on athletes]</ref> Her record from that event still stood in 2012.<ref name="focus" /> Her speciality at the time was actually [[400 metres hurdles|400 m hurdles]]. She attended the Kenyan trials for [[1999 World Youth Championships in Athletics|1999 World Youth Championships]], but as 400 m hurdles was not competed at the trials, she opted to take part in [[800 metres|800 m]].<ref name="focus" /> She finished second and was selected for the Kenyan team, but failed to reach the final of 800 m competition in World Youth Championships held in [[Bydgoszcz]], Poland.<ref name="target">IAAF, 23 October 2007: [http://www.iaaf.org/OLY08/news/Kind=2/newsId=42131.html Jepkosgei's Beijing target – first Kenyan women's middle distance Olympic gold]</ref>

In 2000 Jepkosgei won two [[gold medal]]s at national secondary school championships, the events were 400 m hurdles and 800 m. At the East Africa Youth Championships held in the same year she won 400 m hurdles, while at 800 m she finished second.<ref name="focus"/>

She joined [[International Olympic Committee|IOC]]-sponsored High Performance Training Centre in [[Eldoret]] in 2001. She was then coached by 1988 olympic gold medalist [[Paul Ereng]].<ref>Daily Nation, 25 December 2007: [http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=5&newsid=113298 How Jepkosgei made us proud]{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The same year, she took 800 m [[silver medal]] at the [[African Junior Athletics Championships|African Junior Championships]], and the next year she took 800 m gold medal at the [[2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics|World Junior Championships]] in [[Kingston, Jamaica]].<ref name="target"/>

Janeth Jepkosgei took part at the [[Athletics at the 2003 All-Africa Games|2003 All-Africa Games]], but failed to reach the 800 m final. In 2004, she won Kenyan Olympic trials at 800 m, but was not selected since she failed to beat qualifying time. The history repeated itself in 2005, when she won 800 m at national trials, but did not secure an "A"-qualifying time. She did beat the "B"-qualifying time, but [[Athletics Kenya]] did not send her or any other Kenyan 800 m female runner to represent Kenya at the world championships.<ref name="target"/>

== Reaching global top ==
Her breakthrough year was 2006. On 24 March 2006 she won the women's 800 m event at the [[2006 Commonwealth Games]] with a time of 1 minute, 57.88 seconds. She managed to beat veteran runner [[Maria de Lurdes Mutola]] of [[Mozambique]]. Later that same year she won [[African Championships in Athletics]] at the 800 m event. She also broke the Kenyan 800 m women's record twice. Jepkosgei was awarded the 2006 [[Kenyan Sports Personality of the Year|Kenyan Sportswoman of the Year]] award.<ref>[[The Standard (Kenya)|The Standard]] 23 February 2007 ''Kipchirchir, Jepkosgei named Soya winners''</ref>

Jepkosgei made Kenyan History on 28 August 2007, where she won gold in the World Championship 800 m final in [[Osaka]], becoming the first female Kenyan middle distance runner to achieve gold over 800 m.<ref name="focus" /> She led from start to finish to win in a time of 1 minute, 56.04 seconds, beating the [[List of Kenyan records in athletics|Kenyan record]] and world leading time (1.56,18) she had set at the heats two days earlier. She retained the Kenyan Sportswoman of the Year award.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.soyaawards.com/winners.html |title=SOYA Awards – 2007 winners |access-date=23 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913034301/http://soyaawards.com/winners.html |archive-date=13 September 2008 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

On 24 May 2008 the 19-year-old [[Pamela Jelimo]] set a new Kenyan record of 1:55.76, beating the one previously held by Jepkosgei.<ref>Daily Nation, 26 May 2008: [http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=5&newsid=124091 Jelimo sets new world junior record]{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Jelimo's dominance throughout the season prevented Jepkosgei from major victories, but won Olympic silver medal over 800 m.

She collided with [[Caster Semenya]] of South Africa such that Jepkosgei fell and finished last in her heat at the [[2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 800 metres|2009 World Championships]]. However, after a successful protest, she was allowed to run in the semi-finals<ref>Earth Times, 16 August 2009: [http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/281572,appeals-jepkosgei-advances-taylor-out-for-good--summary.html Appeals: Jepkosgei advances; Taylor out for good – Summary ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905081419/http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/281572,appeals-jepkosgei-advances-taylor-out-for-good--summary.html |date=5 September 2012 }}</ref> and eventually achieved silver medal, well behind the winner Semenya.

Jepkosgei started her 2010 season by a win at the [[Diamond League]] meeting in Shanghai, China.<ref>IAAF: [http://www.diamondleague-shanghai.com/Live-StartlistsResults/Overview/800m-Women 2010 Diamond league – Shanghai – Women's 800m results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100525102044/http://www.diamondleague-shanghai.com/Live-StartlistsResults/Overview/800m-Women/ |date=25 May 2010 }}</ref>

Her father Michael Busienei was an 800 m runner, as is her younger brother Dennis Kiprotich.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nation.co.ke/sports/athletics/Eldoret+Express++tunes+up+her+engines+ahead+of+contest+/-/1100/1206208/-/vqhybkz/-/index.html|title=Eldoret Express' tunes up her engines ahead of contest|work=Daily Nation|access-date=2018-05-03|language=en-UK}}</ref>

Jepkosgei is now coached by Claudio Berardelli. Her manager is Federico Rosa.<ref name="focus"/>

==Achievements==
{| {{AchievementTable|Event=Yes}}
|-
!colspan="6"|Representing {{KEN}}
|-
|2002
|[[2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics|World Junior Championships]]
|[[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]], [[Jamaica]]
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|800 m
|[[2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 800 metres|2:00.80]]
|-
|rowspan=4|2006
|[[Athletics at the 2006 Commonwealth Games|Commonwealth Games]]
|[[Melbourne]], Australia
|bgcolor="gold" align="centr" | 1st
|800 m
|1:57.88
|-
|[[2006 African Championships in Athletics|African Championships]]
|[[Bambous, Mauritius|Bambous]], Mauritius
|bgcolor="gold" align="centr" | 1st
|800 m
|2:00.64
|-
|[[2006 IAAF World Athletics Final|World Athletics Final]]
|[[Stuttgart]], Germany
|bgcolor="silver" align="centr" | 2nd
|800 m
|1:59.10
|-
|[[2006 IAAF World Cup|IAAF World Cup]]
|[[Athens]], Greece
|bgcolor="silver" align="centr" | 2nd
|800 m
|2:00.09
|-
|rowspan=2|2007
|[[2007 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|[[Osaka]], Japan
|bgcolor="gold" align="centr" | 1st
|800 m
|1:56.04
|-
|[[2007 IAAF World Athletics Final|World Athletics Final]]
|[[Stuttgart]], Germany
|bgcolor="gold" align="centr" | 1st
|800 m
|1:57.87
|-
|rowspan=2|2008
|[[Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
|Beijing, China
|bgcolor="silver" align="centr" | 2nd
|[[Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's 800 metres|800 m]]
|1:56.07
|-
|[[2008 IAAF World Athletics Final|World Athletics Final]]
|[[Stuttgart]], Germany
|bgcolor="silver" align="centr" | 2nd
|800&nbsp;m
|1:58.41
|-
|2009
|[[2009 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|[[Berlin]], Germany
|bgcolor="silver" align="centr" | 2nd
|[[2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 800 metres|800 m]]
|1:57.90
|-
|2011
|[[2011 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|[[Daegu]], South Korea
|bgcolor="silver" align="centr" | 2nd
|[[2011 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 800 metres|800 m]]
|1:57.42
|-
|2015
|[[2015 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|[[Beijing, China]]
|26th (h)
|[[2015 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 800 metres|800 m]]
|2:01.40
|}

== Personal best ==
*800 metres – 1:56.04 (2007)
*1000 metres – 2:37.98 (2002)
*1500 metres – 4:02.32 (2011)
*One Mile – 4:28.72 (2008)

== References ==
* {{World Athletics}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110715202927/http://www.rosassociati.com/public/images/atleti/Busienei%20Janeth%20Jepkosgei.pdf Rosa & Associati profile]
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category inline|Janeth Jepkosgei}}
* {{Wikiquote inline}}

{{Kenyan Sportsperson of the Year}}
{{Footer World Champions 800 m Women}}
{{Footer African Champions women's 800 metres}}
{{Footer Commonwealth Champions 800m Women}}
{{Footer IAAF World Cup Champions 800m Women}}
{{Footer IAAF Diamond League 800 Metres Champions Women}}
{{Footer WBYP 800m Women}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jepkosgei, Janeth}}
[[Category:1983 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Kenyan female middle-distance runners]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2006 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2014 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Kenya]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for Kenya]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Kenya]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games athletes for Kenya]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Kenya]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Diamond League winners]]
[[Category:IAAF Continental Cup winners]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:Athletes from Nandi County]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 2006 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in athletics]]