Great things were expected of Peter Rono as a junior, but he struggled to live up to those expectations. Rono won gold at the 1985 African Cross-Country Championships and in 1986 took silver at the World Junior Championships in the 1,500 m. At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Rono was not considered a gold medal favorite, but he managed to edge out the favorites Peter Elliott and Steve Cram of Great Britain, thus becoming, at the time, the youngest Olympic Champion in the 1,500 m (21 years and 62 days). Rono never again won a major race and, after receiving a master’s degree at Mount Saint Mary’s College in Emmittsburg, Maryland, he worked as an athletics coach with his alma mater. Rono later worked for New Balance in the sales and marketing department.
Personal Best: 1500 – 3:34.54 (1989).
Kenya