Saif Saaeed Shaheen
Shaheen in 2009
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| Personal information | |
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| Born |
October 15, 1982 Kamelilo Village, Iron Location, Keiyo District, Rift Valley Province, Kenya |
| Height | 174 cm (5 ft 9 in) |
| Weight | 60 kg (132 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event(s) | 3000m Steeplechase 3000m 5000m Cross Country |
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Medal record
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| Updated on 16 June 2015. | |
Saif Saaeed Shaheen (Arabic: سيف سعيد شاهين) formerly Stephen Cherono (born October 15, 1982) is a steeplechase runner. He was born in Keiyo, Kenya, but now represents Qatar. He currently holds the world record for 3000 metre steeplechase. He is a two time World Champion in the event. His older brother Abraham Cherono is also a steeplechase runner.
He was the 1999 World Youth Champion in the steeplechase and set a world junior record two years later. He won the steeplechase at the 2002 Commonwealth Games for Kenya but switched allegiance to Qatar in 2003. That year he became world champion in the event, although a dispute with the Kenyan Athletics Federation meant he was ineligible to compete at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He defeated that year's Olympic champion, Ezekiel Kemboi, a month later with a world record run of 7:53.63 minutes.
In the 2006 season he took the 3000 metres silver medal at the 2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships and also set a number of Asian records. He completed a 5000 m/steeplechase double at the 2006 IAAF World Cup. Serious injuries ruled him out from late 2006 to 2008 and he returned to competition in 2009 before retiring in 2016.
Stephen Cherono was born and raised in Kenya, showing athletic ability from a young age. He initially made his mark on the international stage with a win at the 1999 World Youth Championships in Athletics over the 2000 metre steeplechase. After the death of his coach and manager Kim McDonald, in 2001 he started his collaboration with the Italian Renato Canova, already coach of his elder brother Christopher Kosgei, World Champion in the same event in 1999. The first success of this collaboration was the World Junior Record held in Brussels in 2001 : – his mark of 7:58.66 has stood for almost a decade. He went on to become the world champion over the 3000 metre steeplechase course in 2003 and again in 2005.
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