7. Jacob Kiplimo
Since running a World Record/African Record of 57.31 in the half-marathon in Lisboa last year, Jacob Kiplimo’s career has continued to grow in leaps and bounds even as he topped the world list for the third year in a row. His performance in 2022 certainly earns him the No.7 spot on our toplist of African Male Athletes for the year.
The Tokyo Olympics Bronze medallist over 10,000m opened his season in February by winning the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in the UAE with a Season’s Best (SB) and sub-58 minute performance of 57:56, which was 25s shy of his own world record. He dominated the race by a comfortable 34s margin from Kenya’s Rodgers Kwemoi (58:30) even as the next five athletes all finished inside 59 minutes too.
UPDATE: Jacob Kiplimo wins the 2022 @rakhalfmarathon in Dubai.
Men 20km RESULTS
🥇 Jacob Kiplimo 🇺🇬 57:56
🥈 Rodgers Kwemoi 🇰🇪 58:30
🥉 Kenneth Kiprop Renju 🇰🇪 58:35
Fun fact:Kiplimo is the World record holder of the Half Marathon which he broke in Lisbon clocking 57:31 #RAKHalf pic.twitter.com/nKIJHdF2av— aisha nassanga (@AishaSports) February 19, 2022
His next race was his only 3000m of the year and he returned a time of 7:29.55 to finish 2nd at the Wanda Diamond League in Rome.
Kiplimo made his second appearance at the World Championships, this time around competing in the 10,000m where he followed the lead inspired by his teammate Joshua Cheptegei who won GOLD as Kiplimo claimed the Bronze medal with 27:27.97.
The 2018 World U20 Silver medallist in the 10,000m shifted his sights to the Commonwealth Games where he was the man to beat this time around, having finished 4th in Gold Coast four years ago. Kiplimo turned on the pedals with less than 100m to the end of the 10,000m, coming from behind to overtake the Kenyan duo of Nicholas Kimeli and Jacob Krop to win GOLD with a Games Record and SB of 27:09.19 at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.
Four days later, he coasted to victory once again in the men’s 5000m in an SB of 13:08.08 to finish ahead of the Kenyan pair of Daniel Ebenyo and Kibiwott Kandie. Kiplimo’s feat in Birmingham made him the third Ugandan to complete the 5000m/10,000m double at the Commonwealth Games after Cheptegei in Gold Coast in 2018 and Moses Ndiema Kipsiro in Delhi from 2010. His medals were instrumental to Uganda’s 7th place finish in Athletics at the Games, having won two of his country’s three medals in Birmingham.
He ended his season with a sizzling victory at the Great North Run where he clocked 59:33, finishing one minute six seconds ahead of Selemon Barega (1:00.39) as Kenenisa Bekele placed 3rd in 1:01.01.
