{{Short description|Kenyan-born Bahraini middle-distance runner}} '''Abraham Kipchirchir Rotich''' (born 26 June 1993) is a Kenyan-born Bahraini middle-distance runner. Rotich won the 800 metres at the 2012 Diamond League meeting in Monaco.
==Career==
===2012=== Rotich opened his 2012 season at the Ostrava Golden Spike meeting on 25 May, placing third in the 800 metres in 1:45.52.<ref name="tpprof"/> He then improved to 1:44.46 in Rehlingen three days later; both times were inside the Olympic qualification standards.<ref name="tpprof"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/8453553/London-2012-Olympics-Athletics-qualification.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110419050208/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/8453553/London-2012-Olympics-Athletics-qualification.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 April 2011 |title=Olympic Qualifying Procedures for Athletics |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |accessdate=5 June 2011 |date=15 April 2011}}</ref> However, he only placed fourth at the 2012 Kenyan Olympic trials,<ref name="tpprof"/> missing out on an Olympic berth as the top three were selected.
He then clocked a new personal best of 1:43.62 at Liège on 5 July.<ref name="tpprof"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.golazo.com/en/nieuws/?Article_ID=594372 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130629093242/http://www.golazo.com/en/nieuws/?Article_ID=594372 |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 June 2013 |title=Jelimo improves own world-leading 800m mark in Heusden-Zolder |publisher=GOLAZO |accessdate=11 May 2013 }}</ref> He improved further to 1:43.15 two days later at the Heusden-Zolder Night of Athletics,<ref name="kstar">{{cite news|url=http://www.kenyanstar.co.ke/more-athletics/jelimo-runs-world-leading-time-in-belgium |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130702223445/http://www.kenyanstar.co.ke/more-athletics/jelimo-runs-world-leading-time-in-belgium |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 July 2013 |publisher=Kenyanstar |date=9 July 2012 |accessdate=11 May 2013 |title=Jelimo runs world leading time in Belgium }}</ref> breaking the Kenyan junior record previously held by 2011 World Youth Champion Leonard Kosencha.<ref name="tpprof">{{Tilastopaja |id=125171 |name=Abraham Rotich}}</ref> Only two other athletes had run faster in 2012.<ref name="kstar"/> Nevertheless, Rotich said he wasn't satisfied with the time.<ref name="kstar"/>
Rotich made his Diamond League debut on 20 July at Monaco.<ref name="tpprof"/> He won the race in another new personal best of 1:43.13, beating Kosencha in a close finish.<ref name="flotrack"/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-21/watt-takes-second-in-monaco/4145362 |title=Watt takes second in Monaco |date=21 July 2012 |accessdate=11 May 2013 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref> The field also included American Duane Solomon, who went on to place fourth at the Olympics three weeks later,<ref>{{Tilastopaja |id=50683 |name=Duane Solomon}}</ref> and Sudan's 2011 World Championship silver medallist Abubaker Kaki.<ref name="flotrack">{{cite web |url=http://www.flotrack.org/article/13631-Asbel-Kiprop-Makes-World-Leading-32888-Look-Easy-in-Monaco |title=Asbel Kiprop Makes World Leading 3:28.88 Look Easy in Monaco |author=Monti, David |publisher=Flotrack |date=20 July 2012 |accessdate=11 May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.all-athletics.com/2012-07-21/monaco-kiprop-32888-and-aries-merritt-1293-display-olympic-credentials |publisher=All-Athletics |date=21 July 2012 |accessdate=11 May 2013 |title=Monaco: Kiprop 3:28.88 and Aries Merritt 12.93 display Olympic credentials}}</ref> Rotich made another Diamond League appearance four weeks later at the Stockholm DN Galan, placing third behind Mohammed Aman and Taoufik Makhloufi.<ref name="tpprof"/> In his last race in 2012, he beat Olympic bronze medallist Timothy Kitum over 1000 metres at Dubnica nad Váhom, Slovakia.<ref name="tpprof"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atletikadubnica.sk/AM/AM_index_en.htm |title=Carter very close with 10.01 |publisher=AK Spartak Dubnica nad Váhom |accessdate=11 May 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130426001536/http://www.atletikadubnica.sk/AM/AM_index_en.htm |archivedate=26 April 2013 }}</ref>
''Track & Field News'' ranked Rotich #6 in the world at 800 m.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/images/stories/Rankings/04-m800rank.pdf |magazine=Track & Field News |title=World Rankings — Men's 800 |accessdate=11 May 2013 }}{{Dead link|date=September 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name="dleugene">{{cite web|url=http://www.diamondleague.com/News/NewsArticles/Eugene-WR-Holder-Rudisha-Comes-to-Pre/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130629003539/http://www.diamondleague.com/News/NewsArticles/Eugene-WR-Holder-Rudisha-Comes-to-Pre/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 June 2013 |title=Eugene: WR Holder Rudisha Comes to Pre |publisher=IAAF Diamond League |date=15 April 2013 |accessdate=11 May 2013 }}</ref>
===Doping violation and ban=== In 2021, Rotich was issued with a four year competition ban for a doping violation due to the use of 19-noretiocholanolone and Norandrosterone.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://b-nado.bh/list-of-suspended/ |title=List of Suspended |publisher=Bahrain National Anti Doping Organisation |access-date=20 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520194159/https://b-nado.bh/list-of-suspended/ |archive-date=20 May 2024}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{sports links}} * {{Tilastopaja|id=125171}} * {{SR/Olympics profile|ro/abraham-rotich-1}}
{{Footer Asian Champions men's 1500 metres}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rotich, Abraham Kipchirchir}} Category:1993 births Category:Living people Category:Kenyan men middle-distance runners Category:Bahraini men middle-distance runners Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2014 Asian Games Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2018 Asian Games Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Bahrain Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic athletes for Bahrain Category:Asian Games athletes for Bahrain Category:Asian Athletics Championships winners Category:West Asian Athletics Championships winners Category:21st-century Kenyan sportsmen