Most Kenyans feel that the athletes who were selected to represent the country at the 2022 World Athletics Championships which came to a close on July 24 performed dismally than those who took part at the previous editions.
Kenya only managed to win 2 gold medals in Oregon, the lowest in over a decade and emerged fourth overall behind hosts the United States, Ethiopia and Jamaica.
In each of the previous editions from 2011, the nation won more than 5 gold medals. The greatest performance in Kenya’s history was registered in the 2015 Beijing edition, when the nation emerged number one in the world.
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Anyone would understand why most Kenyans are not a happy lot, particularly when some Kenyan-born athletes are winning medals for their adopted countries. TeamKenya.co.ke takes a look at former Kenyan athletes who bagged medals at the World Championships in Eugene.
Norah Jeruto
Norah Tanui Jeruto is one of the former Kenyan internationals who managed to get a podium place finish in Oregon, United States.
Jeruto who recently switched her allegiance due to various reasons among them lack of opportunities and poor training facilities won the women’s 3,000m steeplechase in a sensational fashion, in the process winning Kazakhstan's first ever gold medal in a world championship event.
The Altay Athletics club athlete outclassed other participants in the event to cross the finishing line in a championship record time of 8:52.3.
Only current world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech who missed the championships and Kenyan-born Bahrain international Ruth Jebet (Winfred Mutile Yavi) have registered faster times than Jeruto in the history of Athletics.
The above statistics show that three of the best 3,000m steeplechase female runners of all time were born in Kenya.
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Jeruto, aged 26 actually represented Kenya a few years ago, winning the African championships title over the distance in 2016.
Lonah Salpeter
Lonah Korlima Salpeter is another former Kenyan athlete who clinched a medal at the 2022 World Athletics Championships. The 35-year-old who migrated to Israel as a house help finished third in the women’s marathon to win her adopted country a bronze medal.
Lonah crossed the finishing line behind Ethiopia’s Gotytom Gebreslase, and Kenya’s Judith Jeptum Korir. The 2020 Tokyo Marathon winner clocked 2:20.18 to defeat some Kenyan representatives in the race.
These are just a few athletes with Kenyan roots who managed to win their adopted countries a medal. The reality is that there were many Kenyan-born athletes who represented various countries at the world Championships, and many more are likely to follow.
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