The global athletics community is once again plunged into sorrow with the passing of the renowned former athlete, Henry Rono, at the age of 72.
In a statement released to media outlets, Athletics Kenya announced that the iconic sportsman succumbed to a brief illness at a medical facility in Nairobi on Thursday.
Rono proudly represented Kenya at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada, where he clinched gold in both the men’s 3000m steeplechase and 5000m events. That same year, he achieved further glory by securing gold in the 3000m steeplechase and 10,000m disciplines at the All Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria. His legacy was further solidified by his unprecedented feat of breaking four world records in the 3000m, 3000m steeplechase, 5000m, and 10,000m events.
Despite his remarkable achievements, Rono’s Olympic dreams remained unfulfilled, as Kenya opted to boycott both the 1976 and 1980 Games held in Montreal, Canada, and Moscow, Russia, respectively.
Born in Kiptaragon Village in Nandi County, Rono later relocated to the United States in 1986, where he spent 33 years before returning to his homeland in 2019.
His passing adds to the recent wave of grief sweeping across the nation and the world following the tragic loss of marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum and his coach Gervais Hakizimana, who perished in a fatal road accident last Sunday.
