Abubaker Kaki Khamis
Sudanese runner (born 1989)
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Abubaker Kaki Khamis (Arabic: أبو بكر خميس كاكي; born 21 June 1989) is a Sudanese runner who specialises in the 800 metres. He is a two-time World Indoor Champion over the distance and also won gold at the 2007 All-Africa Games. He represented Sudan at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. He is a member of the Messiria ethnic minority.[2]
Kaki Khamis at the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | Sudanese | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 21 June 1989 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 63 kg (139 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Track and field | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Events | 800 metres, 1000 metres | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Jama Aden | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal bests | 800 metres: 1:42.23[1] 1500 metres: 3:31.76[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Running career
In February 2008 he ran a world-leading 2:15.7 in the 1000 m indoors in Sweden. On 9 March 2008, in Valencia, Kaki became the youngest ever World Indoor champion after winning the 800 m final at age 18 years and 262 days.[3] On 6 June 2008, he won the Bislett Games Golden League meeting in Oslo by running 1:42.69, a new world junior record. The previous record (1:43.64) was set by Japheth Kimutai of Kenya in 1997.[4] The following month he entered the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics as the 800 m favorite. He was closely followed by Keny's Geoffrey Kibet in the final but managed to pull clear on the final straight to win the gold medal.[5]
Kaki finished 8th in the third semi-final for the 800 m and did not advance to the final at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.[6] In the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, where he was a strong favorite, Kaki tripped and fell in the semi-final, and did not complete the race.[7]
Kaki retained his title at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships at the age of twenty, becoming only the second athlete after Paul Ereng to complete the feat in the men's 800 m. In the outdoor season, he made his first appearance in the 2010 IAAF Diamond League in an 800 m match-up against David Rudisha. Both runners defeated Sebastian Coe's 31-year-old meeting record, but Kaki was not fast enough to beat Rudisha. Kaki's time of 1:42.23 was a new Sudanese record and, at the time, the fastest 800 m time ever recorded for a non-winning athlete.[8] He won at the Memorial Primo Nebiolo later that month in another quick time of 1:43.48.[9] Since then he made the 800 m final at the London 2012 Olympic Games where he finished 7th in 1.43.32, a season's best performance.[citation needed]
Reported death
Kaki was reported killed on 12 April 2025 in El Fasher, as a result of artillery shelling by the Rapid Support Forces, during the Siege of El Fasher in the Sudanese civil war.[10][11] However, this report was refuted by African journalists, who claimed that Kaki was still alive.[12][13]
Achievements
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  Sudan | |||||
| 2005 | World Youth Championships | Marrakesh, Morocco | 3rd | 1500 m | 3:45.06 |
| African Junior Championships | Radès, Tunisia | 7th | 800 m | 1:50.30 | |
| 2006 | World Junior Championships | Beijing, China | 6th | 800 m | 1:48.46 |
| 2007 | All-Africa Games | Algiers, Algeria | 1st | 800 m | 1:45.22 |
| 7th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:09.37 | |||
| World Championships | Osaka, Japan | 30th (h) | 800 m | 1:46.38 | |
| Pan Arab Games | Cairo, Egypt | 1st | 800 m | 1:43.90 (NR) | |
| 1st | 1500 m | 3:47.92 | |||
| 2nd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:06.52 (NR) | |||
| 2008 | World Indoor Championships | Valencia, Spain | 1st | 800 m | 1:44.81 |
| African Championships | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | 2nd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:04.00 | |
| World Junior Championships | Bydgoszcz, Poland | 1st | 800 m | 1:45.60 | |
| Summer Olympics | Beijing, China | 24th (sf) | 800 m | 1:49.19 | |
| 2009 | World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 22nd (sf) | 800 m | DNF |
| 2010 | World Indoor Championships | Doha, Qatar | 1st | 800 m | 1:46.23 |
| African Championships | Nairobi, Kenya | 4th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:08.52 | |
| 2011 | World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | 2nd | 800 m | 1:44.41 |
| 2012 | Summer Olympics | London, United Kingdom | 7th | 800 m | 1:43.32 |
Personal bests
| Event | Time | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 800 metres | 1:42.23 † ‡ | 4 June 2010 | Oslo |
| 1000 metres | 2:13.62 | 3 July 2010 | Eugene |
| 1500 metres | 3:31.76 † | 22 July 2011 | Monaco |
| Event | Time | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 800 metres | 1:44.81 | 9 Mar 2008 | Valencia |
| 1000 metres | 2:15.77 | 21 Feb 2008 | Stockholm |
All Information taken from IAAF profile.[14]
Key: † = National record
