Richard Chelimo; Kenyan Olympian

Richard Chelimo, 34, a former world record holder at 10,000 meters and an Olympic silver medalist in the event, died of a brain tumor Wednesday at a hospital in Kenya.

Chelimo broke the 10,000-meter world record in Stockholm in 1992. Within a week, his record was broken by fellow Kenyan Yobes Ondieki, the first man to run the 10,000 meters in under 27 minutes.

“Chelimo was a hard-working athlete,” said a former coach, Brother Colm O’Connel. “His death is a big loss to the country and the athletics fraternity at large.”

Chelimo won the 10,000-meter silver medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, losing to Moroccan Khalid Skah.

In an Olympic tuneup the year before, Chelimo took the silver medal at the Tokyo World Athletics Championship, finishing behind countryman Moses Tanui.