Sultan Khamis Zaman
Encyclopedia
Onèsphore Nkunzimana (born July 23, 1985 in Burundi
) is a male long distance runner
His first major competition was the 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics
, where he finished ninth in the 5000 metres
He switched from Burundi to represent Qatar
and adopted a new name Sultan Khamis Zaman while competing for them. He ran under his new name and country at the 2004 Summer Olympics
. He finished eighth in the short race at the 2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
and won a team silver medal with Qatar.
He ran at the 2005 World Championships
and the 2005 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
, finishing in 16th and 19th place, respectively. He won the Eurocross
meeting in 2005 and 2007. He won the bronze medal in the 5000 m at the 2006 Asian Games
.
He took the 3000 metres
gold medal at the 2008 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships
. He won his second world cross country team medal shortly after with a 22nd place finish at the 2008 World Championships
. He represented Qatar at a major competition for a final time at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but he did not progress beyond the heats.
He changed his allegiance again in 2010, returning to Burundi, and changed back to compete under his birth name, Onèsphore Nkunzimana. He won the Eurocross for a third time in February 2010.
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
) is a male long distance runner
Long-distance track event
Long-distance track event races require runners to balance their energy. These types of races are predominantly aerobic in nature and at the highest level, exceptional levels of aerobic endurance is required more than anything else...
His first major competition was the 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics
2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2000 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Santiago, Chile.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:...
, where he finished ninth in the 5000 metres
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...
He switched from Burundi to represent Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
and adopted a new name Sultan Khamis Zaman while competing for them. He ran under his new name and country at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's 5,000 metres
The 5,000 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program were held at the Athens Olympic Stadium on August 25 and August 28....
. He finished eighth in the short race at the 2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 32nd IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 19-20 March 2004 in Brussels, the capital of Belgium.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
and won a team silver medal with Qatar.
He ran at the 2005 World Championships
2005 World Championships in Athletics
The 10th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland , the site of the first IAAF World Championships in 1983. One theme of the 2005 championships was paralympic sports, some of...
and the 2005 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
2005 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
The 14th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships were held in Edmonton, Canada on 1 October 2005. This was the final World Half Marathon Championships to be staged, the competition being replaced by the World Road Running Championships in 2006. A total of 156 athletes, 87 men and 69 women, from 43...
, finishing in 16th and 19th place, respectively. He won the Eurocross
Eurocross
Eurocross is an annual international cross country running competition which takes place in Diekirch, Luxembourg in February. It is one of the IAAF permit meetings which serve as qualifying events for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships....
meeting in 2005 and 2007. He won the bronze medal in the 5000 m at the 2006 Asian Games
Athletics at the 2006 Asian Games
An Athletics competition was contested at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar from December 7 to December 12. Twenty-three events were contested for the men while 22 were on the slate for the women. Only the 3000 Meter Steeplechase was not contested for by the women...
.
He took the 3000 metres
3000 metres
The 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and...
gold medal at the 2008 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships
2008 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships
The 2008 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships was an international indoor athletics event took place in Doha, Qatar, between 14 and 16 February.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:-Participating nations:...
. He won his second world cross country team medal shortly after with a 22nd place finish at the 2008 World Championships
2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 36th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in the Holyrood Park at Edinburgh, Scotland on 30 March 2008. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition...
. He represented Qatar at a major competition for a final time at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but he did not progress beyond the heats.
He changed his allegiance again in 2010, returning to Burundi, and changed back to compete under his birth name, Onèsphore Nkunzimana. He won the Eurocross for a third time in February 2010.