An Olympic silver medallist in the men's 3,000 metres steeplechase at the Munich 1972 Olympics, he also won three medals - two of them gold - at the Christchurch 1974 Commonwealth Games. 

Jipcho passed away in Eldoret yesterday, reportedly from multiple organ failure.

"We are saddened by the loss of Jipcho, a pioneer of athletics in Kenya,"Paul Tergat, President of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya, said.

"My heartfelt condolences to his family and Kenyans at large." 

Worth Athletics has also expressed its sadness at the news.

Jipcho is perhaps more famous for a race where he finished 10th than any of his medals.

During the Olympic 1,500m final in Mexico City in 1968, he ran a blistering first two laps to assist compatriot Kipchoge Keino in beating American Jim Ryun, sacrificing his own chances in the process.

Keino won the gold medal - a feat Kenya had not achieved before those Games.

Keino was also the man who finished ahead of Jipcho in the 1972 3,000m steeplechase final.

At the Christchurch 1974 Commonwealth Games, Jipcho won the 3,000m steeplechase and the 5,000m, both in times that were Games records.

His 5,000m time was 13min 14.4sec, and his 3,000m steeplechase effort 8:20.67.

A year earlier, he set the worl record in the 3,000m steeplechase at 8:14.0.

Jipcho also won a 1,500m bronze medal, and had won 3,000m steeplechase silver four years earlier.

At the 1973 African Games in Lagos, he again won the 3,000m steeplechase and 5,000m titles.