Faith Kipyegon and Breatrice Chebet after dominating the women's 5,000m race at the last World Championships in Budapest/HANDOUT
The myth or belief that Kenyans have always performed well in Asia gives the country hope that it can replicate its 2015 performance in Beijing, China.
Kenya’s finest hour came at the Beijing 2015 Championships, where a record 16 medals (seven gold, six silver, three bronze) saw the country top the world.Jamaica placed second (12 medals) with the USA third (18 medals).
And yes, Team Kenya's head coach, Julius Kirwa, believes the pendulum always swings in their favour when they compete in Asia.
“We have always been lucky with Asia, and I hope this will once again be the case this time round. Apart from matters weather, which keeps on changing, Asia has become our best hunting ground,” he noted.
For more than four decades, Kenya has been the gold standard at the World Athletics Championships, with its athletes consistently setting the pace and outpacing rivals on the global stage.
That journey began modestly in Helsinki in 1983, where a 21-strong contingent (20 men and a lone woman) competed across 11 events without tasting podium success.
But just four years later, in Rome 1987, Kenya roared onto the medal table, hauling in three gold medals to finish fifth in the standings.
The golden trio of Billy Konchellah (800m), Paul Kipkoech (10,000m) and Douglas Wakiihuri (marathon) heralded the dawn of Kenya's global athletics dominance.
Since that breakthrough, the East African powerhouse has cemented its status as a track and field juggernaut, amassing an impressive 171 medals (65 gold, 58 silver, and 48 bronze) to sit second on the all-time medal standings, only behind the USA’s towering haul of 443.
Interestingly, Kenya has found more joy on Asian soil than anywhere else the World Championships have been staged. When Tokyo hosted the global show in 1991, the team clinched fourth overall position with eight medals (four gold, three silver, one bronze) behind the USA (26), Russia (29) and Germany (17).
On the country's return as host in 2007 in Osaka, Kenya rose to second with 13 medals (five gold, three silver and five bronze). Four years later in Daegu, Korea, Kenya repeated the runner-up finish with 18 medals (seven gold, eight silver and three bronze) behind the USA’s 28 medals.
In 2013, Moscow hosted the 14th edition of the Championships with Kenya finishing third with 12 medals (five gold, four silver and three bronze) behind the USA (26) and Jamaica (10).
Now, the World Championships return to Asia for the 20th edition in Tokyo, where Kenya will field a formidable 61-athlete squad, determined to extend its global dominance.
So just how ready is that team? According to coach Kirwa, the kind of training they have undergone will enable them to overcome the humid conditions.
“We have had intensive training over the last month, considering all factors. We knew what to expect here in Tokyo in terms of weather conditions, and we invested our all in training. Of course, it’s not going to be easy, but I know if it is hot, it will be for everyone,” he said.
He, however, admitted that the marathon will be tricky in these harsh conditions, but hopes that bringing its schedule forward by 30 minutes will help a lot. “For us, the earlier the better,” he said.
Sprints’ coach Stephen Mwaniki echoed the same sentiments, noting that they have had to re-adjust the sprinters' training owing to the same humid conditions. He said, considering they are starting with the 4x400mixed relays and the 100m, they can only hope for the best.
Leading the Kenyan charge is triple Olympic 1,500m champion Faith Kipyegon, who headlines the women’s metric mile. She arrives as defending world champion, having stopped the clock at 3:54.87 in Budapest 2023 ahead of Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji (3:55.69) and the Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan (3:56.00). Kipyegon is the big favourite to claim the gold in Tokyo after an impressive 2025 campaign.
This season, Kipyegon has been simply untouchable. She lowered her own 1,500m world record to 3:48.68 at the Prefontaine Classic, eclipsing her previous 3:49.04.
Kipyegon also came close to becoming the first woman to dip under four minutes in the Mile race, clocking 4:06.42 on June 26 to miss the sub-four mark.
In Tokyo, she will be flanked by in-form Nelly Chepchirchir, Susan Ejore and Dorcas Ewoi. Chepchirchir, the Diamond League finals champion, has enjoyed a scintillating 2025 campaign, stringing together four consecutive Diamond League victories from Doha (4:05.00), Rabat (3:58.04), Paris (3:57.02) and Monaco over 1,000m (2:29.77).
She capped off her season with the 1,500m Diamond League finals trophy in Zurich, clocking 3:56.99. Kipyegon is also set to double in the 5,000m, where she is also the reigning world champion from Budapest, having claimed the crown in 14:53.88. The 5,000m will see her team up with Beatrice Chebet, Agnes Ng'etich and Margaret Akidor.
Kipyegon had already announced her intent to defend both her titles. "I have beautiful memories in Tokyo, that’s where I got my first gold medal as a mom, so it's really special to go back there and defend my title over 1,500m and the 5,000m and see," she stated after the Silesia Diamond League.
World 10,000m and 5,000m record holder Chebet will be the woman to watch in the long-distance events (5,000m and 10,000m) as she eyes a historic double to match her Paris Olympic exploits.
Last year, Chebet stormed to both the 5,000m and 10,000m Olympic titles, making her only the third woman in history to claim such a feat. Over the 25-lap race, Chebet teams up with Ng’etich and Janeth Chepng’etich.
Perhaps the most electrifying race in Tokyo will be the men’s 800m. In the 2025 season, 15 men have already dipped under 1:43, with Kenya’s Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi boasting the world’s fastest time of 1:41.44.
The 20-year-old arrives fresh from a 1:42.37 finish in Zurich, where he secured a third straight Diamond League trophy. His mission in Tokyo is to upgrade his Budapest silver to gold. “I plan to make sure I make the finals,” he noted with steely focus.
In the water and barrier event, red-hot Faith Cherotich will lead Kenya’s charge as she hopes to upgrade her bronze from Budapest to gold.
In the men’s event, rising star and world U-20 champion Edmund Serem will carry the nation’s hopes. Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, will be hoping to rediscover top form in the men’s 100m as he chases his first sub-10-second finish of the season as well as a first World Championships podium.
Teenage middle-distance sensation Phanuel Koech will be the man to watch in the men’s 1,500m after a strong 2025 campaign.
In his most recent race at the Zurich Diamond League final on August 28, Koech powered to a 3:30.02 third-place finish. He reckons that his flying form throughout his 2025 campaign will push him to the podium in Tokyo.
"I am confident I can at least secure a podium finish in Tokyo," Koech said after his Zurich race.
The 2019 world champion Timothy Cheruiyot will, however, be keen on reclaiming his crown in Tokyo.
"I am praying to be a world champion again, and I hope Tokyo will be the stage," he said.
Kenyan javelin ace Julius Yego will also be eyeing a shot at reclaiming glory in Tokyo, hoping to replicate his gold-winning performance from the 2015 Beijing championships.
In the women’s javelin event, Irene Jepkemboi, who made history as the first Kenyan field athlete to represent the country at the Worlds, hopes to leave her mark.
The 2020 Olympic marathon champion, Peres Jepchirchir, hopes to garnish her trophy cabinet with a world title as she spearheads the women’s marathon event.
In the team sports, Kenya’s 4x400m mixed relay squad will be the team to watch after an impressive outing during the World Relays in Guangzhou, China, where the quartet of David Sanayek, Mercy Chebet, Brian Tinega and Mercy Oketch clocked 3:13.10 to claim bronze.
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