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Kigen, Obiri bag Kenya's first medals at Tokyo Olympics

For the first time since 1968, the country's dominance in the steeplechase has been broken as Moroccan El Bakkali finally wins the gold he has craved for so long.

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by OMONDI ONYATTA

Sports02 August 2021 - 13:50
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In Summary


  • •Kigen timed 8:10.45 to finish behind winner Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco (8:08.90) and second-placed Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia (8:10.38) 
  • •In the women's 5000m, world champion Hellen Obiri could only settle for a second successive silver at the Olympics, clocking 14:38.36 to finish behind winner Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands 
Benjamin Kigen shakes hands with Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia after the race.

African 3000m steeplechase champion Benjamin Kigen bagged bronze in the men's 3000m steeplechase at the Tokyo Olympics to end Kenya's wait for a medal at the games. 

Kigen timed 8:10.45 to finish behind winner Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco (8:08.90) and second-placed Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia (8:10.38) as Kenya's 53-year hold on the water-and-hurdles race finally came to an end. 

The other Kenyan in the race, Commonwealth silver medalist Abraham Kibiwott, finished a disappointing 10th in 8:19.41. 

 In the women's 5000m, world champion Hellen Obiri could only settle for a second successive silver at the Olympics, clocking 14:38.36 to finish behind winner Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands who timed 14:36.79 to clinch gold. 

World bronze medalist Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia clinched bronze after clocking 14:38.87 to finish third as world 10,000m bronze medallist Agnes Tirop of Kenya came fourth in 14:39.62. 

Another Kenyan,  former world cross country bronze medallist Lilian Kasait, finished a disappointing 12th in 14:55.85. 

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