It was a moment filled with tears of joy, laughter and hugs as Kenyan-born Bahrain athlete Winfred Yavi arrived in the country on Wednesday.
She was received by her parents at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
In a video seen by the Star, the gold medalist is seen crying while holding a bouquet of white and pink flowers, and her medal.
Yavi who was dressed in a white hoodie, black trousers, and white shoes was all emotional as she could not hold back her tears.
Yavi won the Paris 2024 Olympic 3,000m steeplechase.
She broke the record after clocking 8:52.76 to beat Tokyo 2020 champion Peruth Chemutai of Uganda (8:53.34) and 20-year-old Faith Cherotich (8:55.15) to second and third places respectively.
In an earlier interview, Yavi said before deciding to switch to Bahrain, she did a lot of trials to get a chance at the Kenyan national team, but she never made it as there was stiff competition.
"I used to go to the Kenya team trials, and I didn't qualify... It was my priority; I was ready to represent my country," the 24-year-old said.
"The competition was stiff. You know that in Kenya we have a lot of athletes, and to get that chance, you should at least enter the Kenyan team. You can get into the Kenyan team, but you find that they take only two people; if you are number two or number four, you miss out. I was ready, but I never got a chance.”
Yavi revealed that in 2016, she emerged number three in the trials for a youth competition, but only the first two athletes were selected to go and represent Kenya.
"I had done a lot of training; I had worked hard; that's how I came and got the chance (to go to Bahrain), and I went," she said.
Yavi also revealed that she was connected by a Kenyan in the sports sector to go and represent Bahrain.
"My parents also agreed, and the coach also agreed and took me there," she said.
Yavi confirmed that, apart from representing Bahrain in athletics, she also has a nationality for the Asian country.
