Frankline Kibet at the World Cross Country championships/ FILE
Fresh from delivering gold for Kenya in the men’s 5,000m at the World Under-20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Frankline Kibet believes the time is ripe for Kenya to recapture the elusive title in the men’s 5,000m on the global stage.
Over the past few years, Kenya has struggled to make an impact in the men’s 5,000m, despite its storied history of producing world-class long-distance stars. At the World Championships, Kenya has endured a 21-year drought without the crown, with the last Kenyan to capture the title being Benjamin Limo in Helsinki in 2005.
However, before that, Kenya had been a force to reckon with, sealing seven of the 10 crowns since the World Athletics Championships was launched in 1983 up to 2005. The nation’s glittering stars during that golden era included Yobes Ondieki, who triumphed in Tokyo 1991, Ismael Kirui, who successfully defended Kenya’s crown in Stuttgart 1993 before retaining it again in Gothenburg in 1995, Daniel Komen in Athens 1997, Richard Limo in Edmonton 2001 and Eliud Kipchoge in Saint-Denis 2003, before Limo’s triumph in Helsinki in 2005.
Since 2005, Kenya has come close to reclaiming the crown but has had to settle for silver through Kipchoge in Osaka 2007, Caleb Ndiku in Beijing 2015 and Jacob Krop in Eugene 2022.
Meanwhile, at the Olympic Games, the story is even more wanting, with the nation having won just one 5,000m title in Seoul in 1988 through John Ngugi.
Several stars, however, have come close to delivering Olympic gold, settling for silver instead, including Kipchoge Keino in Mexico 1968, Paul Bitok in Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996, Kipchoge in Beijing 2008 and Ronald Kwemoi in Paris 2024.
However, 19-year-old Kibet is already dreaming of restoring Kenya’s lost pride over the 5,000m and believes the new generation of runners can rekindle the country’s once-formidable presence in the event.
“We will push and fight to ensure that we reclaim Kenya’s lost glory in the 5,000m,” Kibet said upon arriving at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) from Oregon.
At the World U20 showpiece, Kibet made waves after storming to the 5,000m gold in 13:28.27. He led fellow countryman Nehemiah Kipng’eno, who secured silver in 13:30.09, as Ethiopian Damitew Kebede settled for bronze in 13:35.38.
For Kibet, winning the title was a fairytale ending to his junior career as he now prepares to make the crucial transition into the senior ranks. “This was my last U20 race as I transition to the seniors. In Oregon, we pushed ourselves to ensure we came back home with the medals,” he said.
The World U20 crown in Eugene only added another glittering chapter to a growing trophy cabinet for the teenager, who has already shown that he possesses the strength, composure and competitive edge required to thrive on the world stage.
Earlier in the year, Kibet had dominated the U20 category at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, on January 10, storming to a 23:18 finish and leading a Kenyan podium sweep. Emmanuel Kiprono secured silver after clocking 23:20, while Andrew Alamisi completed the Kenyan clean sweep by taking bronze in 23:28.
Already, the teenage sensation has set his sights on the ultimate prize in the senior ranks, the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, as he plots a smooth transition from the junior circuit to the unforgiving world of senior athletics. “I want to have a good transition into the seniors and, God willing, be able to represent Kenya at the 2028 Olympics.”
