Kenya stood out as the top African team in this year’s World Athletics Championships held in Hungary, clinching 10 medals and securing fifth place overall. Notably, Kenya outperformed neighboring rivals Ethiopia by securing one more gold. An interesting aspect of Kenya’s gold medal achievement was that, for the first time in the competition’s history, none of its male athletes claimed the top prize.
Faith Kipyegon made history by becoming the first woman to win gold in both the 1500m and 5000m events. Mary Moraa added Kenya’s third gold by triumphing in the women’s 800m, celebrating with a distinctive dance at the finish line, earning her the moniker “Kenya’s dancing queen.”
Uganda celebrated two gold medals, while Ethiopia’s performance might have left them wanting more, securing only two golds—half of their tally from the previous year’s Championships where they ranked second overall behind the hosts, the USA.
Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, hailed as Africa’s emerging sprint star, impressed by earning silver in the men’s 100m and bronze in the 200m. He attributed part of his success to quitting social media. His silver in the 100m marked the first time an African man medaled in the event at the Championships.
Burkina Faso’s Hugues Fabrice Zango made history by capturing gold in the triple jump, marking the continent’s most notable result. This victory not only earned Burkina Faso’s first gold in the Championships but also the first such title for any African nation in the discipline. Zango, also a PhD candidate in electrical engineering, achieved a full set of medals in the triple jump across the last three World Championships—gold, silver, and bronze.
In the face of political instability in his country, Zango expressed hope that his gold medal could bring positive emotions to his fellow citizens.