{{short description|Kenyan middle-distance runner}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Eunice Sum | image = Eunice Jepkoech Sum Rio 2016(2).jpg | image_size = 220px | caption = Sum at the 2016 Rio Olympics | nationality = | residence = | birth_date = {{birth-date and age|10 April 1988}} | birth_place = Kesses, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya | death_date = | death_place = | height = 170 cm | weight = 54 kg<ref name=rio>[https://www.rio2016.com/en/athlete/eunice-jepkoech-sum Eunice Jepkoech Sum] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826084432/https://www.rio2016.com/en/athlete/eunice-jepkoech-sum |date=26 August 2016 }}. rio2016.com</ref> | country = Kenya | sport = Athletics | event = Middle-distance running | pb = {{ubl |'''800 m''': 1:56.99 (Paris 2015) }} | club = | alma_mater = | retired = | olympics = | highestranking = | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Women's athletics}} {{Medal|Country|{{KEN}}}} {{Medal|Competition|World Championships}} {{Medal|Gold|2013 Moscow|800 m}} {{Medal|Bronze|2015 Beijing|800 m}} {{Medal|Competition|Diamond League}} {{Medal|1st|2013|800 m}} {{Medal|1st|2014|800 m}} {{Medal|1st|2015|800 m}} {{Medal|Competition|African Championships}} {{Medal|Gold|2014 Marrakesh|800 m}} {{Medal|Silver|2012 Porto-Novo|800 m}} {{Medal|Competition|Commonwealth Games}} {{Medal|Gold|2014 Glasgow|800 m}} {{Medal|Competition|Continental Cup}} {{Medal|Country|20px Africa}} {{Medal|Gold|2014 Marrakesh|800 m}} }}
'''Eunice Jepkoech Sum''' (born 10 April 1988) is a Kenyan middle-distance runner who specializes in the 800 metres. She was the 2013 World champion and won the bronze medal in 2015. Sum took a silver and a gold at the 2012 and 2014 African Championships in Athletics respectively. She was also 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist and a three-time successive Diamond League winner in 2013–15.
==Career== Sum was born in the village of Kesses in Uasin Gishu County in the former Rift Valley Province and competed in the heptathlon and handball at school. She gave birth to a daughter Diana Jeruto in 2008 and only began a full-time athletics career in 2009 after being spotted competing in a heptathlon event by former 800 metres world champion Janeth Jepkosgei. At her invitation, Sum moved to Eldoret to train with Jepkosgei's group.<ref name="early">[http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/sports/2011/08/03/sum-rolls-to-daegu-under-jepkosgeis-wing/ Sum rolls to Daegu under Jepkosgei's wing]. Capital FM. 3 August 2011. (Retrieved on 2014-08-25).</ref><ref name="spikes">[http://spikes.iaaf.org/post/eunice-sum-kenya-800m-world-champion Sub two zero sum game]. IAAF. 13 May 2014. (Retrieved on 2014-08-25).</ref>
She made her international championship début in the 800 metres at the 2010 African Championships in Athletics in Nairobi, but failed to make the final. In 2011, Sum set a personal best time of 1:59.66 in finishing second over 800 m at the Kenyan championships. This performance qualified Sum for the event at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea, where she reached the semi-finals.<ref name="spikes"/>
Sum won a silver medal – her first medal in international competition – in the 800 m at the 2012 African Championships in Athletics in Porto-Novo, Benin. She ran a personal best of 1:59.13 in the final, finishing two hundredths of a second behind Burundi's Francine Niyonsaba.<ref>Watta, Evelyn. [http://www.iaaf.org/news/news/burundian-teen-niyonsaba-takes-dramatic-800m Burundian teen Niyonsaba takes dramatic 800m title as Nigeria top medal table in Porto Novo]. IAAF. 2 July 2012. (Retrieved on 2014-08-25).</ref> Sum then competed in the 1500 m at the London Olympics, but finished a disappointing 10th in her heat and failed to qualify for the semi-finals.<ref name="spikes"/>
Sum progressed to the highest ranks of international competition in 2013, reaching her first global final and defeating Olympic champion and home favourite Mariya Savinova to win a surprise 800 m gold in a personal best time of 1:57.38 at the World Championships in Moscow.<ref>Landells, Steve. [http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/report-womens-800m-final-moscow-2013 Report: Women's 800m final – Moscow 2013]. IAAF. 18 August 2013. (Retrieved on 2014-08-25).</ref> The Kenyan defeated Savinova again at the Weltklasse Zürich meeting to add the 2013 Diamond League crown in the 800 m to her world title.<ref>Whittington, Jessica. [http://www.athleticsweekly.com/0/admin/news/diamond-league-titles-decided-in-zurich/ Diamond League titles decided in Zurich] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826113338/http://www.athleticsweekly.com/0/admin/news/diamond-league-titles-decided-in-zurich/ |date=26 August 2014 }}. Athletics Weekly. 29 August 2013. (Retrieved on 2014-08-25).</ref> She won the 800 m at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://g2014results.thecgf.com/athlete/athletics/1024213/eunice_jepkoech_sum.html|title=Glasgow 2014 - Eunice jepkoech Sum Profile|website=g2014results.thecgf.com|language=es|access-date=2017-07-19}}</ref>
==Personal life== Sum is the first cousin of Alfred Kirwa Yego, the 2007 world champion in the 800 metres.<ref name="early"/> She is a fan of Chelsea FC.<ref name="spikes"/>
==Achievements== ===International competitions=== {|{{AchievementTable|nation=KEN|Event=yes}} |- |2010 |African Championships |Nairobi, Kenya |9th (h) |800 m |2:08.71 |- |2011 |World Championships |Daegu, South Korea |13th (sf) |800 m |1:59.94 |- |rowspan=2|2012 |African Championships |Porto-Novo, Benin |bgcolor=silver|2nd |800 m |1:59.13 |- |Olympic Games |London, United Kingdom |38th (h) |1500 m |4:16.95 |- |2013 |World Championships |Moscow, Russia |bgcolor=gold|1st |800 m |1:57.38 |- |rowspan=4|2014 |World Relays |Nassau, Bahamas |bgcolor=silver|2nd |4 × 800 m relay |8:04.28 |- |Commonwealth Games |Glasgow, United Kingdom |bgcolor=gold|1st |800 m |2:00.31 |- |African Championships |Marrakesh, Morocco |bgcolor=gold|1st |800 m |1:59.45 |- |Continental Cup |Marrakesh, Morocco |bgcolor=gold|1st |800 m |1:58.21 |- |2015 |World Championships |Beijing, China |bgcolor=cc9966|3rd |800 m |1:58.18 |- |2016 |Olympic Games |Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |19th (sf) |800 m |2:00.88 |- |2018 |African Championships |Asaba, Nigeria |9th (h) |800 m |2:03.38 |- |2019 |World Championships |Doha, Qatar |5th |800 m |1:59.71 |- |2021 |Olympic Games |Tokyo, Japan |34th (h) |800 m |2:03.00 |}
===Circuit wins and titles, National championships=== * Diamond League 800 m overall winner (3): 24px 2013, 24px 2014, 24px 2015 :: 800 metres wins, other events specified in parentheses :* 2013 (2): Stockholm DN Galan, Zürich Weltklasse :* 2014 (4): Doha Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix, Rome Golden Gala, Oslo Bislett Games ({{AthAbbr|SB}}), Lausanne Athletissima (SB) :* 2015 (5): Shanghai Golden Grand Prix, Eugene Prefontaine Classic ({{AthAbbr|WL}}), Paris Meeting (WL), London Anniversary Games, Zürich * Kenyan Athletics Championships ** 800 metres (2): 2012, 2014
===Personal bests=== * 800 metres 1:56.99 (Paris 2015) * 1500 metres 4:01.54 (Eugene 2014) * 3000 metres 8:53.12 (Eugene 2012)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{sports links}}
{{Footer World Champions 800 m Women}} {{Footer African Champions women's 800 metres}} {{Footer Commonwealth Champions 800m Women}} {{Footer IAAF Diamond League 800 Metres Champions Women}} {{Footer WBYP 800m Women}} {{Kenyan Sportsperson of the Year}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sum, Eunice Jepkoech}} Category:Kenyan women middle-distance runners Category:1988 births Category:Living people Category:Olympic athletes for Kenya Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2014 Commonwealth Games Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Kenya Category:World Athletics Championships medalists Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Kenya Category:Commonwealth Games athletes for Kenya Category:Diamond League winners Category:IAAF Continental Cup winners Category:World Athletics Championships winners Category:Athletes from Uasin Gishu County Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Olympics Category:Medallists at the 2014 Commonwealth Games Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in athletics