Francis Kirwa
Francis Chepsiror Kirwa (born November 28, 1974 in Rift Valley Province, Kenya) is a Finnish marathon runner of Kenyan origin.[1] In 2005, he adopted Finnish nationality in order to compete internationally in the marathon, and run for his home nation at the IAAF World Championships in Helsinki. He also set a personal best of 2:11:01 by winning the gold medal at the Maratona Sant’Antonio in Padua, Italy.[2]
 Kirwa in 2006 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Francis Chepsiror Kirwa |
| Nationality |  Finland |
| Born | 28 November 1974 Rift Valley Province, Kenya |
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 60 kg (132 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event(s) | Marathon |
| Club | Lahden Ahkera (FIN) |
| Coached by | Timo Vuorimaa |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | Marathon: 2:11:01 (2008) |
Kirwa represented his adopted nation Finland at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where he competed for the men's marathon. He successfully finished the race in fourteenth place by twenty-two seconds behind Spain's José Manuel Martínez, outside his personal best time of 2:14:22.[3]
Kirwa currently resides in Lahti, since he left from Kenya in 2002. He also trains full-time for marathon and cross-country races at Lahden Ahkera, under his personal and head coach Timo Vuorimaa.
References
- "Francis Kirwa". 20 December 2012. Archived from the original on 16 December 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-20.
- Sampaolo, Diego (27 April 2008). "Battling hot conditions, Kirwa takes commanding victory at Padua Marathon". IAAF. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
- "Men's Marathon". NBC Olympics. Archived from the original on 16 August 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
External links
- Francis Kirwa at World Athletics
- Profile – Suomen Olympiakomitea (in Finnish)
- NBC 2008 Olympics profile
