Cheruiyot's first major milestone in his career was competing on Kenya'sDistance Medley Relay (DMR) at the 2015 IAAF World Relays Championships in the Bahamas. Team Kenya's goal was to improve on their existing DMR world record of 9:15.56 set back in 2006, but the new world record ended up going to the United States, in a time of 9:15.50, while Kenya finished second in a time of 9:17.20. Cheruiyot anchored this DMR (1600m leg) against the United States' Ben Blankenship.[3][4]
Cheruiyot would have a rematch against Blankenship three weeks later at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, in the men's International Mile. Blankenship won in a time of 3:55.72, while Cheruiyot finished 3rd in a time of 3:55.80.[3][5]
Cheruiyot then switched attention to the 1500m at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing. Here, he made it through the rounds and took 7th place in the final in a time of 3:36.05.[3][6]
However, despite his successes, Cheruiyot took 4th place in the 1500m final at the Kenyan Olympic Trials and was therefore unable to represent Kenya at the 2016 Rio Olympics.[3]
Although disappointed by not making Kenya's Olympic Team, Cheruiyot had another breakthrough by winning the 1500m at the Brussels Diamond League, in a personal best time of 3:31.34.[3]
2017: World Silver Medalist & Diamond League Champion
By the end of the 2017 season, Cheruiyot was ranked 2nd in the world over the 1500m, and was a world silver medalist at the 2017 World Championships in London, in a time of 3:33.99, with compatriot Elijah Manangoi winning in a time of 3:33.61.[3][9]
With no major championships this year, Cheruiyot spent 2018 focusing on speed and Diamond League racing. He remained undefeated in every domestic Kenyan race and Diamond League he competed in. Cheruiyot ended 2018 ranked first in the 1500m (3:28.41) and mile (3:49.87).[3]
Cheruiyot was nominated by the IAAF, along with ten other athletes, for the Athlete of the Year Award.[3]
Despite the momentum, at the end of 2018 and into early 2019, Cheruiyot sustained a small injury, but would recover to full strength after a few months.[3]
2019: World Champion
Despite the injury, Cheruiyot won every Diamond League he competed in this year except for the Doha Diamond League. A notable performance Cheruiyot had in the Diamond League circuit was at the Lausanne Diamond League, where he front-ran to set a meet record in a time of 3:28.78.[3]
Cheruiyot remained first in the 1500 metres and also stepped down to the 800 metres, running a personal best of 1:43.13 to win the Kenyan National Championships. He also defended his 1500m Diamond League title.[3]
Cheruiyot's most notable achievement in 2019 was winning gold for Kenya at the men's 1500m final in the IAAF World Championships in Doha. Cheruiyot won in a time of 3:29.26.[3][11]
Cheruiyot stated this time spent at home helped him to further appreciate his family.[3]
2021: Olympic Silver Medalist
Cheruiyot began 2021 with 1500m wins at the Doha, Stockholm, and Monaco Diamond Leagues. At the Monaco Diamond League he ran his current personal best of 3:28.28.[3]
Since the 2020 Tokyo Olympics were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, and having not made the Rio team, Cheruiyot's main priority for the year was the Olympics.[3]
Athletics Kenya formally invited Cheruiyot to join the Kenyan Olympic Team for the 1500m. Having made it through both rounds, Cheruiyot finished second for Olympic Silver in the 1500m final, in a time of 3:29.01, beating British athlete Josh Kerr who took Olympic Bronze in 3:29.05. Norwegian athlete Jakob Ingebrigtsen took Olympic Gold in a new Olympic record of 3:28.32, beating Abel Kipsang's recent Olympic record from the semifinals of 3:31.65, and Noah Ngeny's former Olympic Record from the 2000 Sydney Olympics of 3:32.07.[3][13][14][15]
Prior to the Olympic Final, Cheruiyot had stated he would gift any athlete who beat him in the final his Kenyan bracelet, which he gave to Ingebrigtsen.[3]
To wrap up the 2021 season, Cheruiyot went on to defend his Diamond League title at the Diamond League Final at Zurich, winning in a time of 3:31.37 and beating Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who came 2nd in a time of 3:31.45.[3][16]
2022
Cheruiyot began his 2022 season with a 2nd place finish in the 1500m at the Doha Diamond League and a 3rd place finish in the Bowerman Mile at the Prefontaine Classic. Despite a hamstring issue, Cheruiyot navigated the rounds at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, but took 6th in the final, in a season's best time of 3:30.69.[3][17]
In 2022, Cheruiyot was unable to defend his Diamond League title, being beaten by Jakob Ingebrigtsen.[3]
2023
Cheruiyot opened his 2023 season with a 3,000m race at the Doha Diamond League, finishing 5th in a time of 7:36.72.[18] He also ran the 1500m in the Los Angeles Grand Prix, winning in a time of 3:31.47.[19] Cheruiyot also competed in the Oslo Diamond League, running a season's best of 3:29.08 in the 1500m.[3]
All of this was building to the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. Cheruiyot made the Kenyan National Team, and made it through the preliminaries, but was eliminated in the semifinals.[20] Cheruiyot stated he was diagnosed with a knee injury after the World Championships, and therefore spent the rest of 2023, and the beginning of 2024 resting and rehabilitating to prepare for the upcoming Olympic Year.[3]
2024
In another Olympic Year, building to the 2024 Paris Olympics, at the Oslo Diamond League on 30 May, Cheruiyot narrowly lost to his long-time rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen, with Ingebrigtsen winning in a time of 3:29.74, and Cheruiyot running 3:29.77.[21]
In the 1500m final at the Kenyan Olympic Trials, which took place in June, Cheruiyot secured his spot on the Kenyan Olympic Team for the 2024 Paris Olympics, coming in third place, with a time of 3:35.90. In second was Daniel Mungati, who ran 3:35.80, and the winner was Reynold Cheruiyot, who ran 3:35.63. This 1500m race began relatively slow, with the final 400m turning into a sprint finish.[22]
On 12 July, in the 1500 metres at the Herculis Meeting, Cheruiyot ran a season's best of 3:28.71, behind Jakob Ingebrigtsen's new European record of 3:26.73.[23]
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