Kenya will have to wait a bit longer for a gold medal following the country’s disappointing performances at the Paris 2024 Olympics in France.
Despite a storied history of success in athletics, the latest results highlight the ongoing challenges the country faces in securing top honors on the global stage.
As of now, Kenya has earned only one gold, one silver, and three bronze medals in the 2024 Olympics.
World 10,000m record holder Beatrice Chebet secured Kenya’s first gold medal at the Paris Olympics on Monday, August 5, in the 5,000m race.
While the current Olympic Games have presented challenges, Kenya has previously celebrated notable achievements.
Over the years, several prominent Kenyan athletes have made their mark on the Olympic stage, securing gold medals and etching their names into history.
Here’s a look at some of Kenya’s star athletes who have won gold at past Olympics games.
Kipchoge Keino
In 1968, Kipchoge Hezekiah Keino won Kenya’s first gold medal in 1500m track race, leaving his sick bed in Mexico City against the wishes of Kenya’s team doctors and sneaking into a taxi headed for the Olympic Stadium.
Keino was struggling with a gallbladder infection. The doctors told him that he was in no condition to compete, an advice he defied.
After waiting for the team bus to leave for the stadium, he hailed a taxi and stealthily made his way to the competition venue.
Also Read: Paris Olympics: Millions Beatrice Chebet Will Pocket After Winning Gold Medal
He got to the venue by jogging a mile from the Olympic Village after the cab got stuck in traffic.
Likewise, in 1972, Kipchoge won a gold medal in the 3000 meters steeplechase during the Olympics in Munich. He retired from track a year later.
Ezekiel Kemboi Chebii
The world first knew Ezekiel Kemboi in the 2004 Summer Olympics when he won gold in the 3000 meters steeplechase.
A fun fact is that Kemboi remains the only athlete to have won four world championships in the 3000 meters steeplechase.
Moreover, he secured the second Olympic gold of his career with a searing last lap in the final, winning in a relatively slow time of 8:18.56 in the 2012 London Olympics
David Lekuta Rudisha
Kenya has dominated the men’s 800 meters at recent Olympics, winning gold in 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2022.
It has retained the men’s 800m Olympic title for the fourth time in a row.
David Rudisha memorably struck gold at the London Games in 2012 courtesy of a world record of 1:40.9. Here, Rudisha became the first athlete to dip under the 1:41 barrier.
In 2016, David Rudisha became the first man to defend an Olympic men’s 800 meters gold medal since New Zealand’s Peter Snell achieved the feat in 1964.
Also Read: Kenyan-Born Olympic Gold Medalist Explains Why She Didn’t Represent Kenya
Eliud Kipchoge
39-year-old Eliud Kipchoge is aiming for his third gold medal at the Paris Olympics on 10 August after willing in Rio in 2016 and at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
The two-time Olympic marathon champion (Rio de Janeiro Marathon 2016, Tokyo Marathon 2020) is making his fifth Olympic appearance at Paris 2024 with the ambition to claim a historic third consecutive gold medal.
Faith Kipyegon and Other Kenyan Gold Medalist in Olympics
Faith Kipyegon is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 1500 meters, having secured gold at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and again at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot won the gold medal in the 5000 meters at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She’s known for her incredible endurance and was a standout athlete in long-distance running during that period
Asbel Kiprop was awarded the gold medal in the 1500 meters at the 2008 Summer Olympics after the original winner, Rashid Ramzi, tested positive for doping
Wilfred Kipkemboi Bungei, a retired middle-distance runner, won the gold medal in the 800 meters at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Emmanuel Korir, who represented Kenya at the Tokyo Olympics, won the gold medal in the 800 meters with a time of 1:45.06.
In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the late Samuel Kamau Wanjiru Wanjiru became the first Kenyan to secure gold in the marathon. And since he was only 18 years, he also became the youngest gold medalist since 1932.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel for real-time news updates!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaB3k54HltYFiQ1f2i2C
