The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) has singled out Kenya’s mixed 4x400M relay team for praise following their qualification for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

In a statement on Monday, May 12, 2025, NOCK congratulated the bronze-winning side following their feat on Sunday, May 11, 2025.

The World Athletics Championship two-day event concluded on Sunday, May 11, 2025, with three Kenyan teams qualifying for the next World Championship in Tokyo.

The mixed team stole the show by winning Kenya’s sole medal in the two-day athletics championship.

Defied odds

The 4x400m team, headlined by a quartet of David Sanayek, Mercy Oketch, Brian Tinega, and Mercy Chebet, clocked an impressive time of 3:13.10.

The relay team’s feat in the city of Guangzhou started on Saturday, May 10, 2025, with the quartet defying a star-studded list of opponents to finish third behind Australia and Belgium.

Despite ending outside the qualification bracket, a season-best performance of 3:13.41 booked the spot for Kenyans as the best losers from the heats.

The Kenyans came braced for Sunday’s finals, by not only finishing third but also recording a time improvement from their performance in the heats.

The USA retained its title by clinching gold with a commanding display of 3:09:54s as Australia contended with silver.

The bronze medal comes with its own piece of history as Kenya’s first ever medal in the mixed 4×400m relay at the World Athletics Relays since the 2009 success in Yokohama.

Overall, Kenya was ranked ninth alongside Botswana, each with a bronze medal to their name.

The men’s 4×100m and the men’s 4×400 m teams joined the mixed team among the three qualifying teams for the upcoming championships.

The 4x100m team led by Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, Boniface Mweresa, Meshack Babu, and Steve Onyango set a new national record of 38.35 in Round 1 of the World Championships Qualifiers on Saturday.

Record breakers

An improved showing on the second day saw them finish second to Belgium, thereby booking their place at the 2025 World Championships.

The group’s feat snapped Kenya’s 42-year-old wait with a first qualification in four decades in the discipline.

In the 4×400 m finals, Mweresa led compatriots Zablon Ekwan, Kelvin Kipkorir, and Kelvin Kiprotich to a fifth-place finish as Kenyans shattered a 32-year-old national record with a new record of 2:59.29.

Focus now shifts to the Tokyo event, with the Kenyan team set to ramp up preparations for September 13, 2025.