Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Wiseman Were advanced to the men’s 400m hurdles semifinals at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Monday, September 15, 2025, setting a new personal best in the process.

Were clocked 48.27 seconds to finish fifth in Heat 1 at the National Stadium. Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba won the heat in 48.03 seconds, followed closely by Great Britain’s Tyri Donovan in 48.26. American Chris Robinson and Jamaica’s Malik James-King also recorded 48.27, with Were taking fifth by milliseconds.

The Kenyan hurdler qualified as one of the fastest non-automatic runners, securing a spot in the semifinals on Wednesday, 17, 2025.

This marks his second attempt at reaching the final of a major global competition, having bowed out in the 2023 World Championships semifinals in Budapest. Were will aim to go further and target a first-ever individual final.

Kenya shines across events

Kenya also celebrated success elsewhere on the track on Monday. Edmund Serem won bronze in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase, delivering a time of 8:34.56. He was beaten by New Zealand’s Geordie Beamish, who claimed gold in 8:33.87, and Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali in 8:33.90. Serem’s performance continues Kenya’s tradition in the steeplechase, confirming the depth of young talent in distance running.

Earlier, Kenya collected two gold medals in Tokyo. Beatrice Chebet won the women’s 10,000m, while Peres Jepchirchir claimed the women’s marathon title. The three medals lift Kenya’s overall tally at the championships to three, boosting the morale of the team.

On the track, Kenya also saw progress in middle-distance events. Reynold Cheruiyot won his heat in the men’s 1500m in 3:36.64, while Timothy Cheruiyot, a former world champion, finished fourth in 3:35.61 to advance to the final. Both athletes will carry the nation’s hopes in Wednesday’s final.

With Were and the other young athletes performing strongly, Kenya’s camp remains optimistic about adding more medals before the championships conclude.