After missing out to Ethiopia in most of the distance races at the IAAF World U18 Championships Nairobi 2017, Kenya won the one gold medal they would have wanted more than any other, with Leonard Bett charging to victory in the boys' 2000m steeplechase final on Sunday (16).
Taking advantage of her compatriot's error, Kenya’s Caren Chebet charged to victory at the IAAF World U18 Championships Nairobi 2017 on Friday (14), winning the gold medal in a dramatic girls' 2000m steeplechase final.
An event in which Kenya essentially holds a monopoly, it will come as a major surprise if they fail to take gold, and silver, when they settle down to fight it out in the last individual event on the programme on Sunday evening (16).
Sticking with tradition, the middle-distance race over the barriers is again tipped to be an all-east African affair.
With another championship record, another world youth best and her second gold medal of the week, Candace Hill cemented her status as the star of the IAAF World Youth Championships, Cali 2015 which concluded after five days of thrilling competition on Sunday (19).
Kenya reclaimed this title from Ethiopia courtesy of a richly deserved aggressive front-running display by Vincent Kipyegon Ruto, who won in 5:27.58 on Sunday (19).
On an unforgettable day for global 1500m running, Kumari Taki ensured day three of the IAAF World Youth Championships, Cali 2015 would also be ignited by a stellar metric mile performance as he smashed the boys’ championship record courtesy of a bold front-running display on Friday (17).
When it comes to the steeplechase, it’s sometimes simply impossible to beat the Kenyans, and so it proved once again at the IAAF World Youth Championships, Cali 2015 on Friday night (17) as Celliphine Chepteek Chespol and Sandrafelis Chebet Tuei routed the field to take a 1-2 for their nation for the second consecutive time at the championships.
After a thrilling end to the decathlon on Thursday, it was the turn of the girls’ combined event exponents to start going through their paces at the IAAF World Youth Championships, Cali 2015 and, slightly surprisingly, it was Germany’s Lisa Maihofer who led the way after two events in the heptathlon on Friday morning (17).
Kenya has won this title at the last two IAAF World Youth Championships and in Sandra Felis Chebet, they have an athlete who looks capable of making it three-in-a-row for the proud steeplechasing nation.
This event served up one of the highlights of the previous edition of the IAAF World Youth Championships in Donetsk as Ethiopia’s Meresa Kahsay edged Kenya’s Nicholas Kiptanui Bett in a thrilling race over the final lap in Donetsk with the pair recording the fastest two youth times in history.
Emily and Sandra Chebet are among the many medal contenders on Kenya’s team for the IAAF World Youth Championships, Cali 2015.