Kenya competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's fourteenth appearance at the Summer Olympics.
The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) sent its largest ever delegation to the Games, with 89 athletes, 47 men and 42 women, competing across seven sports. Among the sports represented by the nation's athletes, Kenya marked its Olympic debut in rugby sevens (new to the 2016 Games), as well as its return to archery after 16 years and judo after 24 years. As usual, athletics had the largest team by sport with 48 athletes, roughly more than half of the nation's full roster size.
The Kenyan roster was highlighted by five past Olympic medalists, including world record holder David Rudisha in the men's 800 metres, middle-distance runner Asbel Kiprop, steeplechasers Brimin Kipruto and Ezekiel Kemboi, and four-time Olympian Vivian Cheruiyot, who previously won two medals in long-distance running at London 2012. Other notable Kenyan athletes featured Africa's top javelin thrower and 2015 world champion Julius Yego, and archer Shehzana Anwar, who was eventually chosen as the nation's flag bearer in the opening ceremony.
Due to Kenya's national anti-doping organisation having been declared non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code, the International Olympic Committee decided on 21 June 2016 that the eligibility of Kenyan athletes should be decided on an individual basis by the International Federation, governing each sport.
Despite the controversies, Kenya left Rio de Janeiro with 13 medals (6 golds, 6 silver, and 1 bronze), marking its most successful outcome in Olympic history based on the medal position. All of these medals were awarded to the track and field athletes, with Rudisha successfully retaining his men's 800 m title. For the first time in history, Kenya obtained medals in the field events and hurdles through Yego and Boniface Mucheru, respectively, as well as the women's marathon title from Jemima Sumgong. Tantalizing results in women's distance running saw Cheruiyot and Faith Kipyegon upstage the race favorites from Ethiopia to take the gold medals. Meanwhile, Conseslus Kipruto surpassed the defending champion Kemboi to earn Kenya's eleventh overall title in the men's 3000 m steeplechase. Kemboi, who initially won bronze to become the first steeplechaser with three Olympic medals, was eventually disqualified for stepping off the track at the water jump phase.
Medalists
Medal Name Sport Event Date Athletics Women's marathon Athletics Men's 800 m Athletics Women's 1500 m Athletics Men's 3000 m steeplechase Athletics Women's 5000 m Athletics Men's marathon Athletics Women's 10,000 m Athletics Men's 10,000 m Athletics Women's 3000 m steeplechase Athletics Men's 400 m hurdles Athletics Women's 5000 m Athletics Men's javelin throw Athletics Women's 800 m
Archery
One Kenyan archer qualified for the women's individual recurve by obtaining one of the three Olympic places available from the 2016 African Archery Championships in Windhoek, Namibia, anticipating the nation's Olympic return to the sport for the first time since 2000.
AthleteEventRanking roundRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / ScoreSeedOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankShehzana AnwarWomen's individual57962L 1–7Did not advance
Athletics (track and field)
Kenyan athletes achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event):
Six marathon runners (three per gender) were named to the Kenyan team on May 10, 2016, with 42 more athletes (29 men and 13 women) joining them and being added to the roster on July 2, 2016, based on their performances achieved throughout the qualifying period. Among them were reigning Olympic men's 800 metres champion David Rudisha, two-time steeplechase gold medalist Ezekiel Kemboi, 2015 Worlds champions Julius Yego (javelin throw) and Nicholas Bett (400 m hurdles), and double Olympic medalist Vivian Cheruiyot in long-distance running.
Track & road events Men AthleteEventHeat SemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankMike Mokamba200 mDid not advanceCarvin Nkanata21.438Did not advanceRaymond Kibet400 m46.155Did not advanceAlphas Kishoyian46.746Did not advanceAlex Sampao46.627Did not advanceAlfred Kipketer800 m1:46.611 Q1:44.381 Q1:46.027Ferguson Rotich1:46.002 Q1:44.654 q1:43.555David Rudisha1:45.091 Q1:43.881 Q1:42.15Asbel Kiprop1500 m3:38.971 Q3:39.731 Q3:50.876Ronald Kwemoi3:38.332 Q3:39.421 Q3:56.7613Elijah Manangoi3:46.832 QDid not advanceIsiah Koech5000 m13:25.1512colspan=2 Did not advanceCharles Muneria13:30.9512colspan=2 Did not advanceCaleb Ndiku13:26.636colspan=2 Did not advanceGeoffrey Kamworor10000 mcolspan=4 27:31.9411Bedan Karoki Muchiricolspan=4 27:22.935Paul Tanuicolspan=4 27:05.64Nicholas Bett400 m hurdlesDid not advanceAron Koech48.771 Q48.491 Q49.097Boniface Mucheru48.912 Q48.852 Q47.78 NREzekiel Kemboi3000 m steeplechase8:25.513 Qcolspan=2 Brimin Kipruto8:26.252 Qcolspan=2 8:18.797Conseslus Kipruto8:21.401 Qcolspan=2 8:03.28 Stanley BiwottMarathoncolspan=4 Eliud Kipchogecolspan=4 2:08:44Wesley Korircolspan=4 Samuel Gathimba20 km walkcolspan=4 Simon Wachiracolspan=4
Women AthleteEventHeat SemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankWinnie Chebet800 m2:01.652 Q2:01.906Did not advanceEunice Sum1:59.831 Q2:00.887Did not advanceMargaret Wambui1:59.662 Q1:59.211 Q1:56.89Nancy Chepkwemoi1500 m4:15.4111Did not advanceFaith Kipyegon4:06.652 Q4:03.951 Q4:08.92Viola Cheptoo Lagat4:08.098 q4:06.836Did not advanceMercy Cherono5000 m15:19.563 Qcolspan=2 14:42.894Vivian Cheruiyot15:17.743 Qcolspan=2 14:26.17 Hellen Obiri15:19.381 Qcolspan=2 14:29.77Alice Aprot10000 mcolspan=4 29:53.514Vivian Cheruiyotcolspan=4 29:32.53 NRBetsy Sainacolspan=4 30:07.785Maureen Jelagat400 m hurdles57.978Did not advanceBeatrice Chepkoech3000 m steeplechase9:17.551 Qcolspan=2 9:16.054Hyvin Jepkemoi9:24.611 Qcolspan=2 9:07.12Lydia Rotich9:30.215 qcolspan=2 9:29.9013Visiline JepkeshoMarathoncolspan=4 2:46:0586Helah Kipropcolspan=4 Jemima Sumgongcolspan=4 2:24:04Grace Wanjiru20 km walkcolspan=4 1:37:4942
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionJulius YegoMen's javelin throw83.555 Q88.24
Boxing
Kenya has entered three boxers to compete in each of the following weight classes into the Olympic boxing tournament. Rayton Okwiri had claimed his Olympic spot with a semifinal victory at the 2016 African Qualification Tournament in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Meanwhile, light flyweight boxer Peter Mungai Warui had received a spare Olympic berth as the next highest-ranked boxer, not yet qualified, in the same meet, due to South Africa's decision not to accept spots through the continental qualifier.
Bantamweight boxer and London 2012 Olympian Benson Gicharu rounded out the Kenyan roster with his semifinal triumph at the 2016 APB and WSB Olympic Qualifier in Vargas, Venezuela.
AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankPeter Mungai WaruiMen's light flyweightW 2–1L 0–3Did not advanceBenson GicharuMen's bantamweightL 0–3Did not advanceRayton OkwiriMen's welterweightW 2–1L 0–3Did not advance
Judo
Kenya has qualified one judoka for the men's middleweight category (90 kg) at the Games, signifying the nation's Olympic comeback to the sport for the first time since 1992. Kiplangat Sang earned a continental quota spot from the African region, as the highest-ranked Kenyan judoka outside of direct qualifying position in the IJF World Ranking List of May 30, 2016.
AthleteEventRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechageFinal / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankKiplangat SangMen's −90 kgL 000–100Did not advance
Rugby sevens
Men's tournament
Kenyan men's rugby sevens team qualified for the Olympics by winning the 2015 Africa Cup Sevens in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Team roster
Group play
Classification semifinal (9–12)
Eleventh place match
Women's tournament
Kenyan women's rugby sevens team qualified for the Olympics by attaining a runner-up finish at the 2015 Women's Africa Cup Sevens in Johannesburg, as the qualifying winners South Africa decided not to accept their Olympic berth.
Team roster
Group play
Classification semifinal (9–12)
Eleventh place match
Swimming
Kenya has received a Universality invitation from FINA to send two swimmers (one male and one female) to the Olympics.
AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankHamdan BayusufMen's 100 m backstroke1:00.2838Did not advanceTalisa LanoeWomen's 100 m backstroke1:10.0233Did not advance
Weightlifting
Kenya has received an unused quota place from IWF to send a male weightlifter to the Olympics.
AthleteEventSnatchClean & JerkTotalRankResultRankResultRankJames AdedeMen's −94 kg116171401725617
See also Kenya at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
References
External links