Kenya competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Originally scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020, the Games were postponed to 23 July to 8 August 2021, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the nation's fifteenth appearance at the Summer Olympics since its debut in 1956, having boycotted the 1976 Montreal and 1980 Moscow Games.
Kenya's medal tally was slightly down from 6 gold and 13 total medals in 2016, but it still won far more medals than any other African nation.
Medalists
Medal Name Sport Event Date Emmanuel Korir Athletics Men's 800 metres Faith Kipyegon Athletics Women's 1500 metres Peres Jepchirchir Athletics Women's marathon Eliud Kipchoge Athletics Men's marathon Hellen Obiri Athletics Women's 5000 metres Ferguson Rotich Athletics Men's 800 metres Brigid Kosgei Athletics Women's marathon Timothy Cheruiyot Athletics Men's 1500 metres Benjamin Kigen Athletics Men's 3000 metres steeplechase Hyvin Kiyeng Jepkemoi Athletics Women's 3000 metres steeplechase
Competitors The following is the list of number of competitors in the Games. SportMenWomenTotalAthletics 22 18 40Beach volleyball 0 2 2Boxing 2 2 4Rugby sevens 13 13 26Swimming 1 1 2Taekwondo 0 1 1Volleyball 0 12 12 Total 38 49 87
Athletics
Kenyan athletes further achieved the entry standards, either by qualifying time or by world ranking, in the following track and field events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event):
Six marathon runners (three per gender) were named to the Kenyan team on January 31, 2020, with defending champions Eliud Kipchoge and Vivian Cheruiyot racing at their fourth and fifth Olympics, respectively. The rest of the track and field team was officially announced on June 19, 2021, including Rio 2016 medalists Hellen Obiri (women's 10000 m), Julius Yego (men's javelin throw), and the reigning middle-distance champion Faith Kipyegon.
Track & road events Men AthleteEventHeat QuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankMark Odhiambo100 mcolspan=2 Did not advanceFerdinand Omurwacolspan=2 10.01 NR3 Q10.00 NR3Did not advanceEmmanuel Korir400 mcolspan=2 Did not advance800 m1:45.331 Qcolspan=2 rowspan=3 1:44.742 Q1:45.06Ferguson Rotich800 m1:43.751 Q1:44.041 Q1:45.23Michael Saruni1:45.212 Q1:44.55 SB8Did not advanceTimothy Cheruiyot1500 m3:36.012 Qcolspan=2 rowspan=3 3:33.953 Q3:29.01Abel Kipsang3:40.681 Q3:31.65 1 Q3:29.56 PB4Charles Simotwo3:37.2610 q3:34.616Did not advanceDaniel Ebenyo5000 m13:41.6410colspan=4 rowspan=3 Did not advanceNicholas Kimeli13:38.871 Q12:59.17 SB4Samwel MasaiDid not advanceRhonex Kipruto10000 mcolspan=6 rowspan=3 27:52.789Rodgers Kwemoi27:50.067Weldon Kipkurui Langat28:41.4220Leonard Bett3000 m steeplechase8:19:625colspan=4 rowspan=3 Did not advanceAbraham Kibiwott8:12.251 Q8:19.4110Benjamin Kigen8:10.80 SB3 Q8:11.45Lawrence CheronoMarathoncolspan=6 rowspan=3 2:10:024Eliud Kipchoge2:08:38Amos Kipruto
Women AthleteEventHeat SemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankHellen Syombua400 m52.705Did not advanceMary Moraa800 m2:01.663 Q2:00.473Did not advanceEunice Sum2:03.006Did not advanceEmily Cherotich Tuei2:08.08 PB8Did not advanceWinnie Chebet1500 m4:03.9310 Q4:11.6213Did not advanceEdinah Jebitok4:10.7236Did not advanceFaith Kipyegon4:01.401 Q3:56.801 Q3:53.11 Hellen Obiri5000 m14:55.772 Q colspan=2 rowspan=3 14:38.36Lilian Kasait Rengeruk14:50.36 SB5 Q14:55.8512Agnes Jebet Tirop14:48.01 SB2 Q14:39.62 SB4Sheila Chelangat10000 mcolspan=4 31:48.2316Irene Chepet Cheptaicolspan=4 30:44.00 PB'6Hellen Obiricolspan=4 30:24.27 PB4Beatrice Chepkoech3000 m steeplechase9:19.823 Qcolspan=2 rowspan=3 9:16.337Hyvin Kiyeng Jepkemoi9:23.171 Q9:05.39Purity Cherotich Kirui9:30.135Did not advanceRuth ChepngetichMarathoncolspan=4 Peres Jepchirchircolspan=4 2:27:20 SBBrigid Kosgeicolspan=4 2:27:36 SB
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionMathew SaweMen's high jump2.17=30Did not advanceJulius YegoMen's javelin throw77.34 SB24Did not advance
Boxing
Kenya entered four boxers (two per gender) into the Olympic tournament. Rio 2016 Olympian Nick Okoth (men's featherweight) and rookie Christine Ongare (women's flyweight) secured places in their respective weight divisions, with the former advancing to the final match and the latter scoring a box-off victory at the 2020 African Qualification Tournament in Diamniadio, Senegal. Elly Ajowi Ochola (men's heavyweight) and Elizabeth Akinyi (women's welterweight) completed the nation's boxing lineup by topping the list of eligible boxers from Africa in their respective weight divisions of the IOC's Boxing Task Force Rankings.
AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankNick OkothMen's featherweightL 2–3Did not advanceElly Ajowi OcholaMen's heavyweightL 0–5Did not advanceChristine OngareWomen's flyweightL 0–5Did not advanceElizabeth AkinyiWomen's welterweightL Did not advance
Rugby sevens
Summary TeamEventGroup stageQuarterfinal/ClassificationSemifinal/ClassificationFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankKenya men'sMen's tournamentL 14–19L 5–14L 7–124W 21–7W 22–09Kenya women'sWomen's tournamentL 7–29L 12–35L 0–314W 21–17L 10–2410
Men's tournament
Kenya national rugby sevens team qualified for the Games by securing a lone outright berth with a gold-medal victory at the 2019 Africa Men's Sevens in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Team roster
Group play
Women's tournament
Kenya women's national rugby sevens team qualified for the Games by winning the silver medal and securing a lone outright berth at the 2019 Africa Women's Sevens in Jemmal, Tunisia, as the winners South Africa decided not to accept the berth under SASCOC's rules pertaining to continental qualification route.
Team roster
Group play
Swimming
Kenya received a universality invitation from FINA to send two top-ranked swimmers (one per gender) in their respective individual events to the Olympics, based on the FINA Points System of June 28, 2021.
AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankDanilo RosafioMen's 100 m freestyle52.5456Did not advanceEmily MutetiWomen's 50 m freestyle26.3143Did not advance
Taekwondo
Kenya entered one athlete into the taekwondo competition at the Games for the first time since Beijing 2008. Faith Ogallo secured a spot in the women's heavyweight category (+67 kg) with a top two finish at the 2020 African Qualification Tournament in Rabat, Morocco.
AthleteEventRound of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechageFinal / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankFaith OgalloWomen's +67 kgL 0–13Did not advanceL 7–15Did not advance7
Volleyball
Beach Kenya women's beach volleyball team qualified directly for the Olympics by winning the gold medal at the 2018–2020 CAVB Continental Cup Final in Agadir, Morocco.
AthleteEventPreliminary roundRepechageRound of 16QuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankGaudencia MakokhaBrackcides KhadambiWomen'sL (15–21, 9–21)L (8–21, 6–21)L (6–21, 14–21)4Did not advance
Indoor Summary TeamEventGroup stageQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankKenya women'sWomen's tournament L 0–3 L 0–3 L 0–3 L 0–3 L 0–36 Did not advance
Women's tournament
Kenya women's volleyball team qualified for the Olympics by winning the pool round with three match points and securing an outright berth at the African Olympic Qualification Tournament in Yaoundé, Cameroon, marking the nation's recurrence to the sport for the first time since Athens 2004.
Team roster
Group play
References