Team Kenya hauled 11 medals: five gold, two silver and four bronze to finish second behind United States in the medal standings as the IAAF World Championships came to a close in Doha on Sunday.
Commonwealth 1,500m Silver medallist Timothy Cheruiyot started the evening in style, leading from gun to tape before Rhonex Kipruto wrapped the championship with bronze in men’s 10,000m.
“It has been a long journey,” said Cheruiyot;”I kept saying to be a champion is a long wait and to be one you have to train with champions.”
United States of America finished at the helm with a total 29 medals- 14 gold, 11 Silver and 4 Bronze, while South Jamaica settled for the third position with a total of 11 medals- Three Gold, Five Silver and Four Bronze.
It’s Ruth Chepngetich who started the medal hunt for Kenya with gold in women’s marathon in the first day of the championship on 27th September before Beatrice Chepkoech went for another gold in the fourth day of the championship.
Hellen Obiri and Consenslus Kipruto added the other two gold medals for Kenya in the women 1,500m and 3,000m Steeplechase respectively.
However, Kenya produced some relatively dismal shows in events they have previously dominated. They lost the women’s 800m gold to Ugandan Halimah Nyakayi.
As the same time, the men’s 5,000m event is fast slipping away from Kenya, which is yet to win another title since Benjamin Limo’s gold medal at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki.
One of hottest headlines during this year’s championships was the banning of Mo Farah’s former coach Alberto Salazar who received four year ban by IAAF after being found guilty of doping violations.
