Susan Sirma (born May 26, 1966) is a retired Kenyan middle-distance runner best known for winning a bronze medal over 3000 metres at the 1991 World Championships, becoming the first black African woman to win a track and field medal at World Championship or Olympic level.
Career
Sirma also won two gold medals over this distance at the All-Africa Games, in fact the only times the 3000 metres was staged at the Games. In 1991 she also won the 1500 metres, her championship record still standing.
Personal life
She attended the Singore Girls Secondary School in Iten. Later, she shifted her base to Japan. Fellow Kenyan-born runners Sally Barsosio and Lornah Kiplagat are her cousins.
Achievements
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  Kenya
| |||||
| 1987 | All-Africa Games | Nairobi, Kenya | 2nd | 1500 m | |
| 1st | 3000 m | ||||
| 1991 | World Championships | Tokyo, Japan | 7th | 1500 m | |
| 3rd | 3000 m | 8:39.41 | |||
| All-Africa Games | Cairo, Egypt | 1st | 1500 m | 4:10.68 CR | |
| 1st | 3000 m | 8:49.33 CR | |||
References
- NY Times, July 1, 1992: OLYMPICS: BARCELONA PROFILE; African Women Reach Starting Line
- Daily News (Los Angeles, CA), March 31, 1996: KENYAN WOMEN FEEL OLYMPIC HEAT
- Running Times Magazine, May 2006: Lornah - Inventing Herself and a Better World
External links
| African Games champions in women's 1500 metres | |
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| African Games champions in women's 3000 metres and 5000 metres | |
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| † 3000 m in 1987 and 1991 |
| Japan Championships in Athletics women's 1500 metres champions | |
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 | This Kenyan biographical article relating to athletics is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |
- 1966 births
- Living people
- Kenyan female middle-distance runners
- Kenyan female cross country runners
- Olympic female middle-distance runners
- Olympic athletes for Kenya
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics
- African Games gold medalists for Kenya
- African Games medalists in athletics (track and field)
- African Games silver medalists for Kenya
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1987 All-Africa Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1991 All-Africa Games
- World Athletics Championships athletes for Kenya
- World Athletics Championships medalists
- Japan Championships in Athletics winners
- Kenyan athletics biography stubs