Various athletes representing the country at the Paris Olympics will be looking to punch their way onto the podium and increase Kenya’s medal tally on Thursday, August 8, 2028.

Kenya is currently ranked 36 globally on the medals tally in the Paris Olympic Games having won one gold, one silver and three bronze medals.

Faith Kipyegon

Two-time 1,500 Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon will be seeking to become the first woman to win three titles in the same individual track event at the Olympics, when she lines up in the semifinals of the race.

Kipyegon is expected to cement his position in the 1,500 final when she takes on other fierce opponents at the Stade de France at 8:35 pm today.

The defending champion clocked (4:00.74) to finish fourth in heat two, behind winner Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji (3:59.73), Britain’s Georgia Bell (4:00.290 and USA’s Nikki Hiltz (4:00.42) on Tuesday, August 6, 2024.

The qualification came hours after her first medal at the Olympics, Silver was reinstated following an appeal lodged by Kenyan officials. Kipyegon had been disqualified from the 5,000m after a mid-race altercation with Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay.

In the race, Kipyegon grabbed silver in 14:29.60 ahead of the Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan (14:30.61) as compatriot Beatrice Chebet grabbed gold in (14:28.56).

Other Kenyan athletes in the 1,500 semi-finals include Nelly Chepchirchir and Susan Ejore.

Julius Yego

Former world champion Julius Yego will be looking to go home with a gold medal when he returns on the track on Thursday, August 8, 2024.

Yego is expected to take part in the men’s javelin throw final at the Paris 2024 Olympics at 9:25 pm.

This is after the 2016 silver medalist hit past the qualification mark of 84.00m, in the third attempt to punch the automatic qualification to the final.

Youtube Man threw 78.84 in the first attempt then improved it to 80.75 before sealing the final slot with 85.97m.

Yego is expected to faceoff with Julian Weber and Jakub Vadlejch in the final, all of whom breached the qualification standard of 84.00m.

“My target was to get the automatic qualification to the final. Now it switches to the final where I believe if everything goes well, I can improve the Rio silver medal,” Yego stated after the spectacular throw.

Other Kenyans racing today

Koitatoi Kidali will be looking to secure a slot into the semi-finals of the men’s 800m at the Paris Olympics through a repechage.

Kidali missed out on the automatic qualification after finishing fifth in heat two.

However, World silver medallist Emmanuel Wanyonyi and two-time Commonwealth Games champion Wycliffe Kinyamal all booked their slots at the semis.

WELCOME TO SESSION 7⃣ OF TRACK EVENTS FEATURING TEAM KENYA RACES!!🇰🇪
🔥Men's 800M Repechage – 13:08PM
🔥Women's 1500M Semi-Final 1 – 20:35PM
🔥Women's 1500M Semi-Final 2 – 20:47PM
🔥Men's Javelin Throw Finals – 21:25PM

All times are in EAT
LET'S CHEER ON OUR…

— TeamKenya (@OlympicsKe) August 8, 2024

Other Kenyans who have won medals

Kenya’s first gold was won by Beatrice Chebet in 5,000m while first silver was grabbed by Kipyegon in the same race.

Mary Moraa settled for a Bronze in the women’s 800m at the Paris Olympics, clocking 1:57.42 to finish behind Keely Hodgkinson and Tsige Duguma.

Commonwealth Games champion Abraham Kibiwott settled for bronze in the Olympic 3000m steeplechase race where Soufiane El Bakkali defended his title with American Kenneth Rooks surprising in the final straight sprinting to silver in a personal best time of 8:06.41.

Faith Cherotich claimed a bronze medal in women’s steeplechase a race won by Kenyan-born Bahraini Winfred Yavi. Cherotich’s win brought Kenya’s medal tally to five.