In the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece Kipketer had the lead with 80 meters left in the 800 metres final but was passed with 20 meters left by Yuriy Borzakovskiy and Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, Kipketer taking the bronze medal. At 31 years of age he was still running fast times (breaking 1:44 on three occasions) but no longer had the dominant finish he once possessed, winning only one of the six races he contested, and did not race again after 2004. He ended his career with a remarkable record of fast 800 meter times: except for 2001, he ran 1:43 or better every year from 1994 to 2004. His ten years of sub-1:44 800 meter times is unmatched by any other athlete.