Medal-Laden Team Kenya Returns From London 2017 Conquest On Tuesday

NAIROBI, Kenya- The medal-laden Team Kenya from the just concluded London 2017 IAAF World Championships in Athletics is scheduled to return to the country on Tuesday morning.

According to Athletics Kenya (AK), the squad that won five gold, two silver and four bronze medals to finish second overall to United States of America, will be led by federation president, Lt. Gen (Rtd) Jackson Tuwei at 5am EAT (+3GMT) aboard Kenya Airways flight KQ101.

The team will then be hosted to a welcome breakfast at a Nairobi hotel with officials from the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture, AK and other stakeholders in attendance.

Kenya who won the overall title at the Beijing 2015, posted her best ever performance at a Europe Worlds, surpassing their tally from the Berlin 2009 edition where the country won four gold, six silver and a bronze to finish behind USA and Jamaica.

Gold rush

Gold medallist Kenya’s Geoffrey Kipkorir Kirui takes part in a medal ceremony after the men’s marathon athletics event at the 2017 IAAF World Championships in central London on August 6, 2017. PHOTO/AFP

Boston champion, Geoffrey Kipkorir Kirui set off the gold rush when he won the men’s marathon before Faith Chepng’etich Kipyegon (women 1500m), Conseslus Kipruto (men 3000m steeplechase), Hellen Obiri (women 5000m) and Elijah Manangoi (men 1500m) rose to become world champions in London.

Edna Kiplagat (women marathon) and Timothy Cheruiyot (men 1500m) ran to the silver lining whilst Paul Kipng’etich Tanui (men 10000m), Agnes Jebet Tirop (women 10000m), Kipyegon Bett (men 800m) and Hyvin Kiyeng (women 3000m steeplechase) minted bronze.

It was a vastly superior showing at the London Olympic Stadium compared to the London 2012 Summer Games where Kenya won two gold, four silver and six bronze in a performance that received a huge public backlash.

None of the seven Kenyan gold medallists from Beijing held on to their crowns as London 2017 ushered in a new crop of champions with Obiri, Kipyegon and Manangoi upgrading from silver to gold.

Three title winners from China, David Rudisha (men 800m), Nicholas Bett (men 400m Hurdles) who were injured and Vivian Cheruiyot who retired from track running last year did not go to defend their titles.

Asbel Kiprop (men 1500m) and Julius Yego (men Javelin) and Ezekiel Kemboi (men 3000m steeplechase) left London without scaling the podium heights while Kiyeng was beaten to the bronze in the women 3000m steeplechase.

Steeplechase greats

Kenya’s Conseslus Kipruto (C) celebrates with Ezekiel Kemboi (R) after winning the final of the men’s 3,000m steeplechase athletics event at the 2017 IAAF World Championships at the London Stadium in London on August 8, 2017. PHOTO/AFP

Tanui remarkably won his third men 10000m bronze at the Worlds in a row having taken the third medal at the Moscow 2013 and Beijing 2015 editions previously.

London 2017 gave Kenyans a last glimpse of steeplechase greats four-time world champion Kemboi and Osaka 2007 winner Brimin Kipruto at the biennial IAAF track and field showpiece.