The future king?
Wilson Kipketer may have won in Monaco, Patrick Ndururi may have won in Rome, but it was 19-year old Japheth Kimutai who was convincingly the best 800 athlete of the 1998 season. He ran the fastest time of the year in Stuttgart and took the title at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur. He also finished first at Brussels and Zürich (see picture), where he outsprinted his main rivals Kipketer and Ndururi. His winning time of 1.42.87 was also the second fastest of the season and it brought Kipketer's fabulous winning streak to an end. But then Kipketer had suffered malaria and was not fully fit. Although Kimutai looked ready to take over the world crown, in 1999 a revitalized Kipketer would return to winning ways, and remain unbeaten throughout the entire season.
Wilson Kipketer may have won in Monaco, Patrick Ndururi may have won in Rome, but it was 19-year old Japheth Kimutai who was convincingly the best 800 athlete of the 1998 season. He ran the fastest time of the year in Stuttgart and took the title at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur. He also finished first at Brussels and Zürich (see picture), where he outsprinted his main rivals Kipketer and Ndururi. His winning time of 1.42.87 was also the second fastest of the season and it brought Kipketer's fabulous winning streak to an end. But then Kipketer had suffered malaria and was not fully fit. Although Kimutai looked ready to take over the world crown, in 1999 a revitalized Kipketer would return to winning ways, and remain unbeaten throughout the entire season.