| Winnie Jemutai | |
| Birth Date: | or or [1] |
| Full Name: | Winnie Jemutai Boinett[2] |
| Sport: | Athletics |
| Event: | 5000 metres 2000 metres steeplechase |
| Pb: | 5000m |
| Club: | Uganda People's Defence Force |
| Father: | Micah Boinett |
| Hometown: | Burnt Forest, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya |
| Updated: | 20 February 2024 |
Winnie Jemutai Boinett (born 4 October 2003, 4 June 2003, or 9 February 2002) is a Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner as well as a steeplechase runner. She was the bronze medallist in the 1500 m at the 2021 World U20 Championships, and in 2023 she returned to racing setting the #3 all-time mark in the outdoor 2000 metres steeplechase.
Jemutai began her career in the 1500 metres, racing that distance six times in 2021. For a brief period of time, Jemutai represented the Uganda People's Defence Force at the 5th and 7th 2021 Ugandan National Trials, finishing runner-up at the former event.[3]
At the 2021 Kenyan World U20 trials, Jemutai finished 2nd in 4:17.55, qualifying her for the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships. [4] At the championships, she finished 2nd in her semi-final to advance behind Diribe Welteji.[5] [6] [7] In the finals, Jemutai finished 3rd, winning her first international medal.[8]
Jemutai did not return to racing until 2023. After debuting in the 3000 metres steeplechase in 9:45.11 to win the Kenyan Defence Forces Championships, she traveled to France and won the Meeting National de Strasbourg 1500 m in a personal best of 4:09.62.[9] [10] Making her track 5000 m debut, Jemutai finished 2nd at the 2023 ISTAF Berlin meeting in 14:56, behind only Letesenbet Gidey who just missed the 5000 m world record ahead.[11] Five days later at the 2023 Memorial Van Damme, Jemutai improved her time to 14:39.05 to finish 4th.[12] Just two days after her new personal best, Jemutai ran 5:52.92 at the Hanžeković Memorial 2000 metres steeplechase, a mark making her the #5 performer of all time in that event and the #3 performer outdoors.[13] She finished her season in November by placing in two Spanish World Athletics Cross Country Tour meetings.[14]
At one of the aforementioned cross country races, she provided a sample which ultimately tested positive for exogenous testosterone. She was originally given a four-year ban; however, this was reduced to three years after she admitted to the doping violation. Her period of ineligibility began on February 29, 2024 and she was disqualified from all of her results since November 12, 2023 (the date the sample was provided).[15]
Jemutai is from Burnt Forest, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. Her father is Micah Boinett, a former steeplechase runner who competed in the 1985 World Cross Country Championships and won the 1989 NJCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship representing the Blinn College Buccaneers.[16]
| Mark | class=unsortable | ! | Competition | Venue | Date | class=unsortable | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4:24.56 | 5th Ugandan National Trials | ||||||
| 2 | 4:21.04 | Kenyan World U20 Trials | ||||||
| 3 | 4:17.55 | Kenyan World U20 Trials | ||||||
| 4 | 4:10.18 | Kenya Defence Forces Championships | ||||||
| 5 | 4:09.62 | Meeting National de Strasbourg |
| Mark | class=unsortable | ! | Competition | Venue | Date | class=unsortable | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16:10 (road) | 8th | Urban Trail de Lille | |||||
| 2 | 14:56.99 | |||||||
| 3 | 14:39.05 | 4th |