In Tokyo
Kenyan-born athletes have opted to represent other countries for reasons varying from a desire to improve their own economic circumstances, to stiff competition for Team Kenya places.
Here, the Nation Sport looks at the Kenyan-born athletes who switched their allegiance to other nations that they represented at the 2025 Tokyo World Athletics Championships.
When Winfred Yavi won gold medal in the women’s 3,000metres steeplechase at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, many Kenyan fans who had been cheering for her in the race were surprised by what followed. Yavi, who was 23 at the time, picked up the Bahrainian flag and flung it in the air using one hand, leaving Kenyan fans, who were not aware that she had renounced her Kenyan citizenship and took up the Bahraini passport, shocked.
Yavi had not only upstaged and conquered her former compatriots Beatrice Chebet and Faith Cherotich in Doha’s scorching heat to win the race in a world-leading time of 8 minutes, and 54.29 seconds, but she was now draping the Bahraini flag on her shoulders.
Silver medallist Winfred Yavi of Bahrain celebrates on the podium during the women's 3,000m Steeplechase medal ceremony at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on September 18, 2025.
Photo credit: Reuters
Kenyan fans were hurt the more because, as the world record holder and reigning world champion from 2019, Chepkoech had gone to the championship as the red-hot favourite but came up empty.
Yavi was born in Makueni County on December 31, 1999, and took up Bahraini citizenship in 2015 “because I unsuccessfully tried to make the Kenyan team and sought opportunities elsewhere.” She became eligible to compete for the Gulf nation in 2026. She won gold for Bahrain at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris but last Wednesday in Tokyo, she capitulated before eventual winner Faith Cherotich of Kenya and had to settle for silver.
The Kenyan-born Israeli marathoner wilted in the Tokyo heat and did not finish the women’s marathon here on September 13. Lorna, who is now 36, got married to her Israeli coach Dan Salpeter in March 2014. She got Israeli citizenship in March 2016. Lorna won bronze medal for Israel in women’s marathon at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
The Kenyan-born Kazakhstani won women’s 3,000m steeplechase title at the 2022 World Athletics Championship held in Eugene, Oregon. That makes her the first athlete representing Kazakhstan to win a title at the World Athletics Championships. Jeruto took up Kazakhstani citizenship in 2022.
Norah Jeruto of Kazakhstan clears a hurdle during the heats of the women's 3000m steeplechase Round 1 at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on September 15, 2025.
Photo credit: Reuters
She won gold medal for Kenya at the 2016 Africa Athletics Championships and although she had applied for Kazakhstani citizenship in time for the 2020 Olympic Games, it was not processed until 2022, so she missed the 2020 Olympic Games. She finished fifth in the steeplechase final in Tokyo.
Marathoner Eunice Chumba, 29, was born and raised in Kenya but moved to Bahrain in 2014. She won the first championship medal for Bahrain in 2016. She is the 2017 Copenhagen Marathon champion, and the 2023 Rotterdam Marathon winner.
On September 12, she finished 16th in women’s marathon here in Tokyo. The race was, of course, won by Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir (2:24.43) followed by Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa (2:24.45) in a photo finish.
Belgium's Isaac Kimeli celebrates after winning the silver medal in the men's 5,000m at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on September 21, 2025.
Photo credit: Reuters
The 31-year-old Kenyan-born Belgian runner won silver medal in men’s 5,000m race in Tokyo on Saturday in a season best time of 12:58.78 behind America’s Cole Hocker (12:58.30), and second-placed Jimmy Gressier (12:59.33) from France.
Daisy Jepkemei, younger sister to Norah Jeruto, is Kenyan-born athlete who changed her citizenship to Kazakhstani in 2022. Jepkemei won gold for Kenya in women’s steeplechase at the 2012 World Junior Championships, and gold in 2013 African Youth Athletics Championships, before changing citizenship.
Daisy Jepkemei of Kazakhstan in action during the heats of women's 3000m Steeplechase Round 1 at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on September 15, 2025.
Photo credit: Reuters
Now 29, she competed in the women’s 10,000m final on the first day here in Tokyo and finished 15th in 31 minutes, 49.87 seconds behind race winner Beatrice Chebet of Kenya (30:37.61), second-placed Nadia Battocletti of Italy (30:38.23) and Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay (30:39.65).
Kenyan-born Turk Özbilen, formerly Mike Kipruto Kigen, won gold for Kenya in 5,000m and 10,000m at the 2006 Africa Athletics Championships, before taking up Turkish citizenship in October 2015. Now 39, Özbilen represented Turkey in men’s marathon in Tokyo, finishing 19th in 2:13.27. The race was won by Tanzania’s Alphonce Simbu in 2:09:48.
