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Bernard LagatTrack and field athlete, Olympic participant 2008
Date of Birth: 12.12.1974
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Bernard Lagat
Bernard Lagat was born on December 12, 1974, in the village of Kapte, located in Kenya. He is a professional middle and long-distance runner. Lagat's birthday coincided with Kenya's Independence Day, and his family roots can be traced back to the ancient Nandi tribe.
Early Life and Education
Like many children, Lagat attended a local primary school and successfully completed his education in 1994. It was during his time in school that he began to pursue athletics seriously. In 1996, Lagat enrolled at the University of Agriculture and Technology in Nairobi. In the same year, he decided to permanently move to the United States and was admitted to the University of Washington. In 2000, Lagat earned a degree in Information Technology.
Successful Siblings
Lagat is not the only member of his family to achieve widespread recognition and high honors. His older sister, Mary Lagat, has been a professional runner since 1994.
Controversies
Lagat has faced controversies throughout his career. He was accused of lacking patriotism towards his homeland, Kenya. One notable incident was his refusal to represent Kenya at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in England. In 2003, Lagat was disqualified from the World Athletics Championships in Paris after testing positive for erythropoietin. Although he was temporarily suspended, later retests cleared Lagat of any wrongdoing. Following the incident, he made public statements denying the use of anabolic steroids or any performance-enhancing drugs.
Dual Citizenship
In 2004, Lagat acquired American citizenship. Despite this, he still competed for Kenya at the Olympics in Athens, earning a silver medal. However, Kenya does not recognize dual citizenship, and the status of Lagat's medal was uncertain, pending a decision by the authorities of the African nation. Due to the change in citizenship, Lagat also missed the 2005 World Championships. The United States allows its citizens to hold dual citizenship, so some of Lagat's victories can be credited to both the United States and Kenya. In 2008, Lagat officially competed for the US Olympic team.
