Abel Kipsang

Abel Kipsang Bele (born 22 November 1996) is a Kenyan middle-distance runner who specializes in the 1500 metres. He placed fourth in the event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Kipsang won the bronze medal at the 2022 World Indoor Championships in Belgrade.

Career

Abel Kipsang gained his first experience at international championships at the 2019 African Games in Rabat, where he finished fourth over the 800 metres in a time of 1:45.43 minutes.

He set a personal best in the 1500 metres of 3:32.6 in Marseille on 9 June 2021, before finishing third on 19 June at the Kenyan Olympic trials to secure his place at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics. His mark from Marseille placed him in the top 10 worldwide. At the Tokyo Games on 5 August, Kipsang set a new Olympic record in the semifinals of the 1500 m with a time of 3:31.65, further improving his personal best. This record was later broken by Jakob Ingebrigtsen who ran 3:28.32 in the final, where Kipsang set a new personal best of 3:29.56 for fourth. Timothy Cheruiyot clinched silver in 3:29.01 while Josh Kerr was third clocking 3:29.05.

In 2022, he became World Indoor Championship bronze medallist in Belgrade, setting a personal best of 3:33.36 and finishing behind Samuel Tefera (3:32.77) and Ingebrigtsen (3:33.02).

Selected for the 1500m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, he qualified for the final, in which he finished fourth overall.

In March 2024, he was a bronze medalist over 1500 metres at the 2023 African Games in Accra.

Competition record