Discarded myths, focus, close relations, fueling phenomenal success of Kenyan women athletes 

The male medallists were Emmanual Wanyonyi (800m gold), Ronald Kwemoi (5,000m silver) and Abraham Kibiwot (3,000m bronze and Benson Kipruto (marathon bonze).

Remarkably, Kenyan women won a medal or medals in each of the races held from the 800m to the marathon.

At the previous two Olympic Games, gold duties were shared equally. At 2020 Tokyo, two gold medals each were won by Kenyan men and women and three each at 2016 Rio.

The 2012 London Games realized only two gold medals won by men as Kenyan women failed to shine, which illustrates the huge strides that have been made over the years.  

The results in Paris were not by fluke but a culmination of many years of preparations.

Kenya women had until 1996 resigned themselves to the fate of competing at the Olympics as "excess baggage" ever since their pioneers– Elizabeth Chesire, Lydia Stephens and Tecla Chemabwai, featured at the 1968 Mexico Olympics.

But Pauline Konga made history after winning a silver medal in the 5,000m race of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics to become the first woman from Kenya to finish a final in a podium position.

Twelve years earlier at the 1984 Los Angles Games, Ruth Waithera had written history as the first Kenya women to reach an Olympic Games final in athletics, placing eighth in the 400m. 

Though last, Waithera was accorded a hero's welcome in Nairobi.

It is also at these Games that Nawal Moutawakil of Morocco made history as the first Africa women to win an Olympic gold medal in the 400m hurdles.

Barnaba Korir, Team Kenya Chef de Mission in Paris said the reason why Kenyan women have outperformed men in athletics is that women have learnt to stay at the top for a long time.

"Faith has been in the last three editions of the Olympics. She is able to plan well in everything she does from family to sport.
"Our women are very alos focused in what they do in sports. But we should not say that our men are performing poorly," said Korir.

Mary Chege, one of the pioneer Kenyan women athletes who just missed out on making the 1968 Games says the Paris team had made history.

"We were very few in 1968 and we faced many hurdles then," Chege recalls.

"Lydia Stephens Oketch (200m) and Tecla Chemabwai (400m) and Elizabeth Chesire (800m) qualified for the Games but I did not, together with Jeni Kenyatta.

“My athletics career took a nose dive after the national trials after I decided to get married and after that I was discouraged from running because of the myth then that women athletes risked messing their reproductive system because of continuous running. Jeni once disclosed to me that Mzee Jomo Kenyatta asked her to choose between running and education, and she had to settle for education."

Chemabwai competed again at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, reaching the quarter-finals which was considered an huge achievement then.

Chemabwai later become the first Kenyan woman to win a gold medal at an international competition, after winning the 400m final of the 1973 All Africa Games in Lagos, Nigeria.

Chemabwai won silver at the 1978 Commonwealth Games 800 metres race. It was only the second Commonwealth Games medal won by a Kenyan women athlete.

The first one was won by Sabina Chebichi, bronze in the 800m at the 1974 Commonwealth Games. She went on to win gold at the 1978 All Africa Games in the same race.

Now Kenyan women are potential medallists in every middle and long distance race the compete in.

What is it that women are getting it right while the men are seemingly struggling going by the Paris Olympics and 2023 World Championships in Athletics when they returned home without a gold medal for the first time in 40 years?

"Women are consistent in their quest for glory because they are not swayed and affected by the success and financial windfalls, more so because they are as committed to training as they are committed to family obligations. They are also fortified by their close relations especially spouses, some of them athletes, like the case of Kipyegon,"said Elizabeth Keitany, Athletics Kenya committee member in charge of psychosocial wellness.

"Our programme is paying off because we have now taken keen attention to ensure women have peace at home and in competition. They have really made us proud," said Keitany. 

Kipyegon credits her husband in aiding in her success. “After what I went through in 5,000m (striped of silver medal then reinstated), I did not sleep until yesterday (Friday), so making history today (Saturday) I have no words, but to thank all the people who supported me including my management, my coach, my family and fans all over the world,” the 30-year-old revealed after winning the 1,500m gold medal in Paris.

“The first person who talked to me for more than an hour was my husband (Timothy Kitum, a bronze medallist in the 800m at the 2012 London Olympics).

"He told me ‘you got this over the 1,500m and I believe in you’. I really want to thank my husband and my daughter,” she continued “My daughter told me after the semis that I was really doing good and I told her, I will make her proud in the final. I thank my family for standing with me.”

Kipyegon, 31, won a historic third gold medal in the 1,500m after Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021 making her easily the greatest women’s runner over the distance.

For record purposes, Pamela Jelimo became the first Kenyan woman to win an Olympic gold medal (800m) at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She won a bronze four years later in London.

Catherine Ndereba won silver medals at the 2004 and 2008 Games, Vivian Cheruiyot won gold in the 5,000m and silver in the 10,000m at the Rio Olympics.

She finished second in the 10,000m at the London Olympics in 2012.

The sky is the limit for the Kenyan women world beaters. They are setting the standards.