Albert Yator
Kenyan runner Albert Yator, who won the silver medal in the steeplechase at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Moncton this past summer, died last weekend after contracting malaria. He was 17 Yator, who was just 17 years old and still at school, raced as recently as January 8, where he finished sixth in a cross-country race in Iten. But shortly afterwards he started to feel ill.
A week ago he was admitted to hospital, where his conditioned deteriorated. Although he was believed to be suffering from malaria, it is not yet known whether that was the cause of death, or if there was another underlying condition.
“We were completely shocked to hear this on Saturday,” said his agent Ricky Simms of Pace Sports Management. “I believe the hospital is doing a post mortem to find out the cause of death.”
2000 Olympic champion Noah Ngeny, also a representative of Pace, added: “We have lost a talented runner and our thoughts and prayers are with family.”
Yator ran 8:33.55 to win silver in Moncton last year behind team-mate Jonathan Ndiku. Yator later improved his PB at the Brussels Diamond League meeting to 8:23.69 – the fastest time by a youth athlete in 2010.
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