United by their common motherland but separated by their mission at global championships, Kenyan stars and the country’s exports are warming up for another sizzling competition.
Statistically, Kenya has more than 4,000 athletes including middle and distance runners, sprinters and field stars. And because of the competitiveness to fly the country’s flag, a number of top athletes opted to represent foreign nations in their bid to bask in glory, at the global stage.
From September 13 – 21, at the Tokyo World Championships, Kenyan-born athletes and their counterparts who switched allegiance to other countries will not just converge in the Japanese capital – but they will face off as they eye glory.
One of the biggest contests pitting a Kenyan and a Kenyan-born star is that between world 3000m steeplechase bronze medallist Faith Cherotich and defending champion Winfred Yavi representing Bahrain.
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In June, Cherotich exerted her dominance in the event after edging out Yavi in a hotly contested 3000m steeplechase race at the Oslo Diamond League in Norway, and the debate on who rules the roost will be settled when the duo compete in Tokyo.
Cherotich, a 20-year-old diminutive figure had also stunned Yavi at the Doha Diamond League meet on May 16 as she reaffirmed her push to become an authority in the women’s 3000m steeplechase.
Cherotich said after powering to a world lead in Oslo that her main target was a stellar performance at the Tokyo World Championships.
“My main target is to compete and do well at the Tokyo World Championships in September,” said Cherotich.
To achieve it this time in Tokyo, Cherotich says her training will be much better.
She went on to say: “For now, I need to do well in my training and keep running well towards the world championships.”
Like Cherotich, Yavi’s main target is to defend her world title at the Tokyo showdown next month.
“My main target and all I am looking up to is to defend my world title in Tokyo,” Yavi said two months ago.
Track athletes such as Kenyan-born Norah Jeruto of Kazakhstan have shocked stars from their motherland in recent global shows. The Kazakh claimed the world title at the 2022 Eugene World Championships. Celliphine Chespol was 13th in that women’s 3000m steeplechase final.
Kenyan-born US marathoner Betsy Saina is set to fly her adopted country’s flag in Tokyo.
A marathon squad recently named by the USA Track and Field (USATF) has Saina’s name.
Saina set her lifetime best of 2:18:19 to finish fifth at Tokyo last year and is an Olympic veteran after placing fifth for Kenya in the 10,000 at Rio 2016. She was also eighth in the 10,000m at the 2015 World Championships and took seventh in the 3000 at the 2016 World Indoor Championships. Saina won two straight USATF 25K Championships in 2023-24.
Kenyan-born marathoners such as Lonah Chemtai Salpeter have stormed to podium positions before. The Israeli long distance athlete bagged bronze in 2022 in Eugene.
They will be running alongside Kenyan women’s marathoners led by 2020 Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir.
As they prepare for next month’s global event, the Kenyan 1500m trio of former World champion Timothy Cheruiyot, former Under-20 champion Reynold Cheruiyot and fast-rising star Phanuel Koech perhaps have Jonah Koech of the US as a serious contender.
Koech, a Kenyan-born US citizen, is fresh from pulling a major surprise when he stormed to victory in the men’s 1500m during USATF track and field championships staged at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon.
The 28-year-old Kenyan-American beat both Olympic medalists in the race, Cole Hocker (who came in third) and Yared Nuguse (fifth).
Following his stunning show, Koech automatically qualified to represent his adopted country in the upcoming World Championships.
Yavi, Saina and Koech join a long list of Kenyan legends who switched citizenship and competed for their foster nations, winning medals at the World Championships and other global shows.
They include 3000m steeplechase legend Saaeed Shaheen born Stephen Cherono who won gold in the 2003 and 2005 World Championships after switching allegiance to Qatar.
Wilson Kipketer, who is one of the most celebrated 800m athletes in the history of the event ensured Denmark held the world titles in 1995, 1997 and 1999 while Lornah Kiplagat made Netherlands proud with her victories at the 2007 World Cross Country title in Mombasa, 2008 World Half Marathon and World Road Running in 2006.