Tokyo triumph: Kenyan women shine as men falter at World Championships

As attention shifts to 2027 action in Beijing, the 2025 Tokyo World Athletics Championships remain among the best outings for Kenya in the global event.

With a total of 11 medals, including seven titles, two silver and a similar number of bronze, Kenya was a proud African nation as it finished second globally just behind USA, which bagged 26 medals (16 gold, 5 silver and 5 bronze).

Kenyan stars had last harvested seven medals from the 2015 Beijing show, a number that was matched in the Tokyo event, which came to a close on Sunday.

Remember, action will be returning to the Chinese city in 2027.

There were key highlights among them, Tanzania’s first-ever gold at the World Championships and Uruguay’s first medal in the biennial event.

Despite being the top African nation on the medal table, Kenya had its fair share of successes and disappointments.

For instance, there was a big debate on why the men left the queens of middle and long distance to deliver gold medals for Kenya.

The world and Olympic championships have been women’s affairs in recent years.

We take a look at some of the key highlights from an event that has earned Kenya glory for 42 years.

Did men let the country down in Tokyo?

A number of athletics enthusiasts have raised questions on the diminishing number of men making it to the podium at global championships.

At the Tokyo World Athletics Championships, 800m star Emmanuel Wanyonyi was the only male gold medallist.

After the 5000m heats on Thursday, double world champion Beatrice Chebet praised the women for overcoming strong competition to bring home the medals.

“We have run some other races and we ran good. We have achieved good performances especially us the ladies.”

“As the ladies from Kenya – Faith (Kipyegon), Peres (Jepchirchir), me (Chebet) and Faith (Cherotich) and other athletes we have done a good job and we are happy for ourselves.”

Three-time world 3000m steeplechase champion Moses Kiptanui yesterday said the men’s irresponsible social life has partly contributed to the declining performances.

“It is not a question of team selection because we always select our best athletes for events such as the World Championships. It has to do with irresponsible behaviours that discourage careers in sport,” the retired athlete said yesterday.

He added: “The women have proved to be more responsible and that is why they are succeeding in winning more medals.”

According to Kiptanui, allowing track athletes to quickly shift to road races, particularly the marathon (half and full), continues to cost Kenya medals from the men.

He said competition standards are improving across the world and recommended advanced and experienced coaching for talented Kenyan stars.

“The Kenyan women are performing better than their men counterparts because they are coached by personal coaches. They only need to be managed well so that they realize their dreams.”

“Many athletes are running 1:41 in the men’s 800m and we should focus our attention on producing talents that match that level of performance,” said Kiptanui.

Since 2015, the number of Kenyan men clinching world titles has been decreasing.

Previously, the country’s men and women shared the numbers.

In 2015, for instance, men brought home four gold medals. They were Ezekiel Kemboi (3000m steeplechase), the late Nicholas Bett (400m hurdles), Julius Yego (javelin) and Asbel Kiprop (1500m).

During the following edition in 2017 London, Geoffrey Kirui (marathon), Conseslus Kipruto (3000m steeplechase), and Elijah Manangoi (1500m) secured world titles out of the five gold medals that Kenya won.

In the 2023 event in Budapest, no Kenyan man won gold. It was Faith Kipyegon (1500m and 5000m) and Mary Moraa (800m) who struck gold.

Olympic repeats

Two of the country’s golden girls – Beatrice Chebet and Faith Kipyegon reproduced the 2024 Paris Olympics script, only that they did it this time in a different setting – Tokyo.

Chebet and Kipyegon faced off once again in the women’s 5000m and produced the same medals as they did at the 2024 Paris Olympics, a year ago.

Chebet claimed the title and Kipyegon settled for the silver medal.

And then, Chebet repeated the Paris Olympics double at in Tokyo, emerging as a double champion (5000m and 10,000m).

Faltering shattered dreams

A number of athletes faltered in Tokyo races. Several recovered from falls, to qualify for finals, as the mishaps crushed others’ lofty ambitions.

Kenya’s fast-rising star Phanuel Koech’s ambition for a medal at the World Championships was, for example, crushed by a fall in heats.

Koech started out well, racing from the outside, but fell in the final lap and ended up finishing 12th in 3:42.77.

Reynold Cheruiyot, who bagged a world bronze, noted that running from the middle and inside would make an athlete susceptible to faltering.

Olympic gold medallist Peruth Chemutai of Uganda and Ethiopian Freweyni Hailu fell during their respective races (3000m steeplechase and 1500m).

Fan support

Kenyans, locally and in Tokyo, rallied behind the squad, with encouragements coming in on day one of the championship after Beatrice Chebet stormed to a gold medal in the women’s 10,000m.

Athletics enthusiasts took to social media to share warm messages from the first day.

The second day proved promising for Kenya as Olympic gold medallist Peres Jepchirchir claimed the women’s marathon title, making Kenyans more proud.

Entertainment joints in regions that have produced most of the country’s world beaters were jammed as fans followed the action.

Was prize money a motivation factor?

Athletics stakeholders believe that enhanced prize money for medallists promised by the Kenyan government could have motivated better performances in Tokyo.

According to a government prize structure, gold medallists would receive Sh3million, up from Sh750,000, while first runner-ups would earn Sh2million, an increase from Sh500,000. Bronze winners will pocket Sh1million, up from Sh350,000 in the previous prize money structure.