Daniel Komen

Daniel Kipngetich Komen (born 17 May 1976 in Elgelol Marakwet District, Kenya) is a Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner. Remembered for his rivalry with Haile Gebrselassie, Komen's most notable achievements came in a two-year period between 1996 and 1998, during which he broke a string of world records.

He currently holds the world record for the 3000 metres both outdoors (7:20.67 set in 1996) and indoors (7:24.90 set in 1998). In addition, with his 7.58.61 world record in the 2-mile race set in 1997, he remains the only man in history to run back-to-back sub-four-minute miles, splitting circa 3:59.4 on both the first and second half of the race.

Komen was also the second man, after Saïd Aouita, to break both the 13-minute mark for the 5,000 m, the 7½-minute mark for 3,000 m, and the 3½-minute mark for the 1,500 m.

Early life

Komen is from the Keiyo sub-tribe of Kalenjin people and grew up in a rural area of Kenya's Rift Valley Province. One of fourteen children, Komen began running at the age of seven as a means of getting to and from school. Komen had an exceptional junior career: at age 17, he placed second at the World Junior Cross Country Championships, and in 1994, he became the World Junior Champion in the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters.

Daniel

Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means, "God is my judge", and derives from two early biblical figures, primary among them Daniel from the Book of Daniel. It is a common given name for males, and is also used as a surname. It is also the basis for various derived given names and surnames.

Background

The name evolved into over 100 different spellings in countries around the world. Nicknames (Dan, Danny) are common in both English and Hebrew, although in some instances "Dan" may be a complete given name rather than a nickname. The name "Daniil" (Даниил) is common in Russia. Feminine versions (Danielle, Daniela, Daniella, Dani, Danitza) are prevalent as well. The Dutch names "Daan" and "Daniël" are also variations of Daniel. A related surname developed as a patronymic, Daniels. Other surnames derived from "Daniel" include McDaniel and Danielson.

In the United States, the U.S. Social Security Administration reports that Daniel has peaked as the fifth most popular name for newborns in 1985, 1990, 2007, and 2008. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that in the 2000 census, "Daniels" was the 182nd most common surname in the U.S., while "McDaniel" was ranked at 323, and "Daniel" (without a final "s") was ranked at 380.

Komen

Komen (pronounced [ˈkoːmən]) is a settlement in Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Komen. It is located on the Karst Plateau in the Slovenian Littoral.

Name

Komen was attested in written sources in 1247 as Cominum (and as Cumin in 1255, de Cumino in 1269, and Comein in 1526). The name is probably derived from the Slavic common noun *komъ 'hill, mountain, elevation'. Derivation from the noun komin 'stove, chimney' is unlikely for accentual reasons.

History

In the Middle Ages, it was first part of the Duchy of Friuli and in the 13th century it was included in the County of Gorizia. Komen was first mentioned in a document from 1247. In 1500, the whole region fell under Habsburg dominion and it was included in the County of Gorizia and Gradisca until 1918. During World War I, the western parts of the municipality were devastated by the Battles of the Isonzo. After the end of the war in November 1918, the area was occupied by Italian troops and annexed to Italy with the Treaty of Rapallo in 1920. On February 15, 1944, the village of Komen was burned down by the Nazi German troops as retaliation for Partisan resistance activity in the area; the surviving inhabitants were forcibly resettled to Bavaria, from where they only returned after the end of World War II. In 1947, it became part of Yugoslavia and in 1991 of independent Slovenia.