Team Kenya at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Originally posted: August 13, 2012

The 2012 London Olympics concluded on Sunday evening with Africa managing to net 31 Olympic medals across 8 countries. South Africa took the bragging rights of the best-placed nation in the continent and 24^th in the overall medal standings with Kenya being pushed to third place behind its archrivals Ethiopia.

Though much was expected from the Kenyan team, winning 11 medals (about 35% of the total number of medals won) is impressive enough for a big round of applause.

Here is Kenya’s London 2012 Olympic Games Campaign

Friday, July 27: The star-studded opening ceremony

Swimmer Jason Dunford leads the Kenyan team into the Olympic stadium in Stratford carrying high the Kenyan flag.

David Rudisha Stars in ‘First’ Olympic Movie

Olympic Champion and World 800m record holder David Rudisha is among 12 Olympic luminaries who will feature in an official International Olympic Committee (IOC) movie film christened, ‘First’; that is scheduled to open worldwide on November 23^rd.  

The movie premiered last Tuesday night in London’s West End and highlights the 23-year olds training and lifestyle in Iten, the heat races and spectacular performance at the just concluded London Summer Olympics.

Safaricom calls for support for Kenyan Sprinters

David Rudisha receives a 2 million-shilling cheque from Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore

Kenya is internationally referred to as an athletics powerhouse following the consistent and remarkable performance in athletic events. However, the decoration is a reserve of long and middle-distance runners. Sprints and field events on the other hand have continued to show dismal performance.

Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore has urged the government and other stakeholders to support the growth of sprint and field sports in the country.

Mary Nakhumicha Zakayo wins Whan Youn Dai Award

Kenya’s Mary Nakhumicha Zakayo and Ireland’s Michael McKillop have been announced by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) as the 2012 winners of the Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award.  
The two athletes were selected for exemplifying the best spirit of the Paralmypic Games, and they will each receive a gold medal at the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympics scheduled for Sunday, September 9. 

David Korir wins Silver for Kenya

David Korir came in second to win Kenya’s first silver in the men’s 1500m - T13 at day seven of the ongoing London Paralympics Games.  

Korir posted a time of 3:48.84 to finish behind Tunisia's Abderrahim Zhiou who smashed the world record in a time of 3:48.31. Great Britain’s David Devine crossed the finish line in 3:49.79 to take bronze.

Samuel Kimani bags Gold in new World Record

Samuel Muchai Kimani bagged Kenya’s first Gold in the ongoing London Paralympics after comfortably cruising to the finish line in the men’s T11 1500m at the Olympic Stadium on Monday evening.

Kimani who is visually impaired was guided by James Boit to finish in a new Paralympic record of 3:58.07. The 22-year-old smashed the world record set by Brazils Odair Santos by nearly six seconds. World Champion Santos took second place while Canada’s Jason Joseph Dunkerly guided by Josh Karanja settled for bronze.

Team captain Henry Kirwa secured the second medal for Kenya after finished third for the Bronze medal in the men’s T12 5000m won by Morocco’s El Amin Chentouf in a new record of 13:53.76.

Hongera!

David Korir breaks record to qualify for 1500m finals

David Korir broke the African Paralympics record to qualify for the men’s 1500m –T13 final on Sunday, in the ongoing 2012 Paralympics Games at Olympic Stadium in London.

28-year-old Korir who was competing in T13 category (for the least visually impaired athletes) won his heat in a personal best of 3:52.96 to break the African Paralympics record.

Korir will be up against triple gold medalist and Kenya’s team captain Henry Kirwa who also advanced to the finals slated for Tuesday.

Kirwa finished second in his heat posting a time of 3:55.35 and is set to defend his title in the 5000m – T12 on Monday.

Meanwhile, Hanna Mwangi who was competing in the 400m – T12 was disqualified for running outside of her lane.  

Samuel Kimani qualifies for 1500m finals

Samuel Mushai Kimani won heat 1 to qualify for the men’s 1500m T11 final at the ongoing 2012 London Paralympics Games on Friday afternoon.  

Kimani who is visually impaired was guided by James Boit to cross the finish line in a personal best of 4:09.44. Canada’s Jason Joseph Dunkerley guided by Josh Karanja came second in 4:13.67 ahead of Colombia’s William Sosa guided by Chavarro Cesar (4:15.66).  

In heat 2, Immanuel Kipkosgei Cheruiyot with his guide Robert Tarus (4:31.77) finished last in a race won in 4:14.95 by world record holder Odair Santos of Brazil.

The finals are slated for Monday  3rd. 

Kenyan Paralympics Team to the 2012 London Olympics

London 2012 Paralympics Games kicks off today with the much-anticipated opening ceremony dubbed ‘Enlightenment’ and the athlete parade where 4,000 athletes from 162 countries will match donning their national colors in pride.   

Kenya will be looking to continue with its good performance at the games after scooping nine medals (five gold, three silver and one bronze) and finishing 26^th overall in the Beijing Games four years ago.  

The Kenyan squad is led by triple gold medalists Henry Kirwa who is keen to defend three titles at the 14^th Paralympics in London.

Uganda’s Kiprotich beats Kirui and Kipsang to win Marathon gold

Stephen Kiprotich produced a stunning performance at the 37km mark of the marathon to win Uganda’s first Olympic gold in 40 years while Kenya’s duo of Abel Kirui and Wilson Kipsang took silver and bronze, respectively in the last day of the 2012 London Olympics.

Kiprotich finished in 2:08.01 ahead of World Champion and favourite Abel Kirui’s 2:08:27 while Kipsang who had led the race for most of the 42km clocked 2:09:37, coming short of their day’s plan of breaking the Late Samuel Wanjiru’s record of 2:06:32 set in Beijing.

The third Kenyan in the race and London Marathon record holder, Emmanuel Mutai finished in a disappointing 17^th to post a time of 2:14.49.

Kenya has now relinquished the continental top honour to South Africa who bagged 3 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze. Africa’s second best goes to archrivals Ethiopia who have 3 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze while Kenya settles for third place with 2 gold, 4 silver and 4 bronze. 

Farah makes double Longosiwa takes bronze

Great Britain’s Mo Farah won his second gold medal in the ongoing London Games with a thrilling victory in the 5000m on Saturday night.

This victory comes seven days after the Somali-born Briton produced a brilliant sprint in the last lap of the 10,000m to win. He won today’s race in a time of 13:41.66 ahead of Ethiopia’s Dejen Gebremeskel who took silver in 13:41.98.

Thomas Longosiwa finished third to bag Kenya’s third bronze in a time of 13:42.36.

In the women 800m, Kenya was left stunned by the rising force of Russians in the track, having finished out of the medal brackets.

Defending Olympic champion Pamela Jelimo couldn’t keep up with Russia’s Mariya Savinova (1:54.19), arch-rival Caster Semenya of South Africa (1:57.53), and Ekaterina Poistogova of Russia (1:57.53) who took gold, silver and bronze respectively.  

The Beijing champion finished fourth in 1:57.59 while compatriot Janet Jepkosgei Busienei finished 8^th in 2:00.19.  

  

Vivian Cheruiyot bags Silver behind Defar Meseret

World Champion Vivian Cheruiyot emerged second in the women 5000m race to win Kenya’s third silver on Friday evening. This was her second medal in the ongoing London Games after the bronze she won in the women 10000m, last Friday.

Ethiopia’s Mesret Defar bagged the gold medal in a time of 15:04.25 ahead of Cheruiyot’s 15:04.73 and 1000m gold medalist Tirunesh Dibaba who posted 15:05.15 to take bronze.

Freshly crowned Olympic 1000m silver medalist Sally Kipyego finished fourth (15:05.79) while compatriot Viola Kibiwott came in sixth (15:11.59).

On the homestretch, Dibaba failed to repeat the spectacular finishing she had in the 10000m where she won gold, giving Cheruiyot an opening to challenge the elusive Defar.    

With only two days remaining to the close of the London Games, Kenya’s medal tally stands at 2 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze.

Man On A Mission, the Kenyan running documentary

Man on a Mission an award-winning documentary follows World Champion and 800m record holder David Rudisha and his Irish coach, Brother Colm O’Connell as they prepare for the World Championships, and eventually the 2012 London Olympics.

The documentary goes further to explore Kenya’s dominance in the running tracks and the indelible legacy left by Brother Colm on Kenyan athletics, as well as fascinating insights into the training practices.

It also highlights Brother Colm work at St. Patrick’s High School and his training of world acclaimed athletes in Kenya’s highlands of Iten.

Abel Kirui to wear Nike’s waterless dyed uniform

World marathon champion Abel Kirui will compete on Sunday wearing a unique Nike Inc.-made singlet that was dyed in Kenya’s national colours without the use of water. The racing singlet is the first Nike Inc. product to showcase the waterless dyeing technology of DyeCoo Textile Systems Inc.

King David Rudisha bags World Record and gold ahead of Kitum

World Champion and 800record holder David Lekuta Rudisha clinched Kenya’s second gold medal in a world record time of 1:40.91 in one of the greatest 800m race on Thursday evening.

The 23-year old took the lead in the opening 100m and never looked back, taking the lead to the finish ahead of Botswana’s Nijel Amos (1:41.73) and compatriot Timothy Kitum who took bronze in a personal best of 1:42.53.

Kenya has now gone up the medal standing from position 33 to 24 after the two medals.

In the women 800m, Co-captain Pamela Jelimo has qualified for the finals.

Final finish

1.       David Rudisha    01:40.91               WR        

2.       AMOS Nijel         01:41.73               WJR

3.       KITUM Timothy     01:42.53             PB          

4.       Duane Solomon 01:42.82              PB

5.       Nick Symmonds 01:42.95              PB

6.       AMAN Mohammed 01:43.20      NR         

7.       KAKI Abubaker 01:43.32            SB

8.       OSAGIE Andrew 01:43.77             PB
  

Photo courtesy of bbc.co.uk

Kenyan Relay team loses appeal to South Africa

The relay team of Boniface Mweresa, Vincent Mumo Kiilu, Boniface Mucheru and Alphas Kishoiyan failed to qualify for the 4×400m relay final on Thursday afternoon.

Kenya was disqualified after Mumo collided with South Africa’s Ofentse Mogawane as he made his way around the final bend in the second leg of the race.

You Tube-Trained Julius Yego sets record

Julius Yego made history as the first Kenyan Javelin thrower to make the Olympics final on Wednesday night.

The man who has called the video-sharing website, You Tube his coach also broke the national record of 81.12m; he set in Finland about 3 weeks ago with an 81.81m throw.

Yego opened his campaign with a 79.10m throw, followed by a 79.33m before setting the new record of 81.81m with his third effort.

The 23-year-old African champion finished 5^th in Group B to be ranked 9^th out of the 12 qualifiers for Saturday’s final

Hellon Obiri qualifies for 1500m finals

Hellen Onsando Obiri finished fifth in Heat 2 of the women’s 1500m semifinal to qualify for the final in a hotly contested race that took place on Wednesday night.

Obiri who clocked 4:02.30 will be the only Kenyan representative in Friday finals after fellow compatriots Faith Chepng’etich and Eunice Sum failed to qualify in round one.

Heat 2 was won by Ethiopia’s Aregawi Abeba in 4:01.03 ahead of Bulut Gamze of Turkey who finished in 4:01.18 while Russia’s Tomashova Tatyana came third in 4:02.10.

800m champion and record holder David Rudisha and Timothy Kitum will be pursuing gold and silver for Kenya in Thursday’s finals.   

Jelimo Jepkosgei and Koech advance Soi out

Defending Olympic Champion Pamela Jelimo, Janet Jepkosgei and Cherono Koech stormed the women’s 800m heats to qualify for the semifinals on Wednesday.  

Jelimo won her heat comfortably in a time of 2:00.54 ahead of Great Britain’s Lyndsey Sharp (2:01.41). Third place went to Greece’s Eleni Filandra who came in 2:02.29.

Kenya fails Makhloufi Shines

It was another disappointing night for Kenya and its three athletes in the 1,500 men’s race on Tuesday, as they all failed to pick up a medal.

Commonwealth Champion Silas Kiplagat (3:36.19), 2011 Diamond League winner Nixon Chepseba (3:39.04), and defending champion Asbel Kiprop (3:43.83) finished 7^th, 11^th , and 12^th respectively in one of the worst performances in Kenya’s history.  

A resilient Taoufik Makhloufi of Algeria bounced back from Monday’s disqualification fiasco in the 800m to win gold in a time of 3:34.08. He was followed by American Leonel Manzano (3:34.79) and Abdalaati Iguider of Morroco who claimed bronze at 3:35.13.

Focus turns to the men’s 5,000m race on Wednesday, where Edwin Soi, Isaiah Kiplagat and Thomas Longosiwa will be pursuing more medals.