Team Kenya athletes return home from Tokyo

Team Kenya athletes have returned home from Tokyo after finishing third on the athletics medals table behind the USA and Italy.

They won 10 medals – 4 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze – after a campaign that received mixed reactions and brought the lowest medals return since Athens 2004.

That haul put Kenya 19th on the overall global standings and top of Africa with Uganda the only other country on the continent ranked inside the top after collecting four medals.

After an underwhelming start to the Games that saw Kenya fail to capture gold in the men’s 3000m steeplechase for the first time in nine consecutive editions, Kenya finished with a flourish.

Kenya took both marathon titles with Eliud Kipchoge winning the final athletics event of Tokyo 2020 with a commanding performance in Sapporo, winning his second straight Olympic gold and cementing his place among the all-time greats of the sport.

“I wanted to create a space to show the world that this is a beautiful race. I have fulfilled the legacy by winning the marathon for the second time, back-to-back. I hope now to help inspire the next generation,” Kipchoge said after winning gold.

With his feat in Sapporo, Kipchoge became only the third person ever to retain their Olympic marathon title

Doubts crept in about his ability to retain the Olympic title he won five years ago in Rio de Janeiro, after he suffered a rare defeat in October’s London marathon.

The 36-year old had previously won 10 straight races and his eighth place finish sparked rumblings that he may have started to fade.

He allayed those concerns after a win in the Netherlands in April. And after his victory on Sunday, in what could be his last Olympic Games, any questions about his abilities were put to rest.

He clocked 2:08:38 to win the race, and now holds two of the top five fastest times ever posted in Olympic marathons.

The night before, Peres Jepchirchir had won the corresponding women’s race, outduelling compatriot Brigid Kosgei in the final minutes and claiming Kenya’s second consecutive gold medal in the event.

Kosgei, the world record holder, took silver after world champion Ruth Chepngetich dropped out around the 30km mark.