It's a girl's world: Kipyegon, Moraa save Kenya's face in Budapest as championships conclude

Team Kenya to the concluded 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest managed to mine ten medals (three golds, three silver and four bronze medals).

The performance in the Hungarian capital was enough to place Kenya on fifth on the global standings and on the summit of the continent, regaining the crown the country lost to Ethiopia in the 2022 championships held in Oregon.

United States of America once again ruled the world after scooping 29 medals (gold 12, silver 8 and bronze 9), 23 more of Canada who placed second by virtue of winning more golds (4) and two silvers.

Spain ranked third with five medals (four being gold and a silver) with Jamaica coming fourth with 12 (gold 3, silver 5and bronze 4).

Kenya won ten medals in Oregon (gold 2, silver 5 and bronze 3) to place fourth on the global log behind Jamaica, Ethiopia and the United States and second in Africa.

Budapest 23: Inevitable Moraa becomes World Champion

Kenya’s three golds in Budapest were won by the duo of Faith Kipyegon and Mary Moraa (800m) with the former savoring double glory following her triumph in the 1500m and 5000m races.

Daniel Simiu, Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Beatrice Chepkoech who finished second in the 10000m,800m and the 3000m Steeplechase races respectively.

Beatrice Chebet, Faith Cherotich, Jacob Krop and Abraham Kibiwott won bronze medals after finishing third in the 5000m,3000m Steeplechase, 5000m and 3000m Steeplechase respectively.

The performance of the Kenyan athletes elicited mixed reactions on social media as there are those who felt that the team did fairly well with others expressing disappointment.

Some of the issues raised include how the male athletes fared given that none managed the highest step on the podium.

Budapest23: Star girl, Kipyegon, delivers historic double with 5000m victory

The failure by the marathoners to claim at least a medal was a source of debate so is inability to reclaim the steeplechase crowns.

Apart from Kipyegon, US sprinters Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson, Dutch 400m hurdles specialist Femke Bol and dominant Spanish walkers Alvaro Martin and Maria Perez also emerged as multiple title winners.

Lyles claimed the 100m and 200m double and anchored the USA men’s 4x100m relay team to victory, while Richardson set a championship record of 10.65 to win her first global title in the 100m, then anchored the USA team to a second championship record in the women’s 4x100m relay.

Martin (20km and 35km race walk) and Perez (20km and 35km race walk) completed the first gold medal sweep of the race walks programme by one country, Spain.

Bol completed a drama-filled nine days by anchoring the Dutch women’s 4x400m team to a last-gasp victory in the final event, having fallen within metres of the finish line in the 4x400m mixed relay on the first night and won her first individual world title in the 400m hurdles in between.

Budapest23: Teenager Emmanuel Wanyonyi bags silver

A record total of 2100 athletes from 195 countries (plus the Athlete Refugee Team) have competed in the Hungarian capital, watched by more than 400,000 ticketed spectators from 120 countries, and producing one world record, one world U20 record, seven championship records, 11 area records and 73 national records.

Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas won her fourth world triple jump title, while Lyles (200m), Kipyegon (1500m), Joshua Cheptegei (10,000m), Grant Holloway (110m hurdles) and Karsten Warholm (400m hurdles) have each won three titles in their core event.

Other World Championships statistics

RECORDS

1 world record (United States in the 4x400m mixed relay - 3:08.80)

1 world U20 record (Roshawn CLARKE, JAM, in the 400m hurdles - 47.34)

7 championship records (Ryan CROUSER, USA, in the shot put - 23.51; Daniel STAHL, SWE, in the discus - 71.46; United States in the 4x400m mixed relay - 3:08.80; Sha'Carri RICHARDSON, USA, in the 100m - 10.65; Shericka JACKSON, JAM, in the 200m - 21.41; María PEREZ, ESP, in the 35km race walk - 2:38:40; United States in the 4x100m relay - 41.03)

11 area records

Africa: Cote d’Ivoire, CIV, in the 4x100m relay - 41.90

Asia: Ernest John OBIENA, PHI, in the pole vault - 6.00; India in the 4x400m relay - 2:59.05; Kemi ADEKOYA, BRN, in the 400 metres hurdles - 53.56, 53.39 & 53.09

Europe: Matthew HUDSON-SMITH, GBR, in the 400m - 44.26

NACAC: United States in the 4x400m mixed relay - 3:08.80

Oceania: Jemima MONTAG, AUS, in the 20km race walk - 1:27:16

South America: Brian Daniel PINTADO, ECU, in the 35km race walk - 2:24:34; Flor Denis RUIZ HURTADO, COL, in the javelin - 65.47

73 national records

22 world leading performances

Budapest23: Majestic Faith Kipyegon delivers Kenya's first gold

MEDALS AND PLACINGS

23 countries won gold medals

26 countries won silver medals

24 countries won bronze medals

46 countries won medals

71 countries finished in top 8

Countries from all six areas won gold medals:

Africa – 9 golds from 5 countries

Asia – 3 golds from 3 countries

Europe – 16 golds from 9 countries

NACAC – 20 golds from 4 countries

Oceania - 1 gold from 1 country

South America – 1 gold from 1 country

Other firsts

• Neeraj Chopra won India’s first gold medal, in the men’s javelin. Hugues Fabrice Zango won Burkina Faso’s first gold medal, in the men’s triple jump. And Ivana Vuleta won Serbia’s first gold medal, in the women’s long jump.

• Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo (bronze) became the first African man to win a medal in the 100m.

• Haruka Kitaguchi became the first Japanese athlete to win the women’s javelin, and has the opportunity to defend her title before her home crowd in Tokyo in 2025.

• Canada won both hammer throw titles, and four gold medals in total, for the first time.

• Ernest Obiena’s silver in the men’s pole vault is the best result for the Philippines at the World Championships.

• First medals for Pakistan (Arshad Nadeem’s silver in the men’s javelin) and the British Virgin Islands (Kyron McMaster’s silver in the men’s 400m hurdles).

• Highest ever placings (first top eight) for Lesotho (Tebello Ramakongoana’s fourth in the men’s marathon) and St Lucia (Julien Alfred’s fourth in the women’s 200m and fifth in the 100m).

• First shared gold at the World Athletics Championships – Katie Moon (USA) and Nina Kennedy (AUS) in the women’s pole vault (also shared bronze medal in the men’s pole vault – Chris Nilsen (USA) and Kurtis Marschall (AUS)

With Budapest done and dusted, Kenyan athletes will focus on the remainder of the season which includes the Diamond League final set for next month in Eugene.

The Kenyan team is set to jet back on Monday night 2130hrs.

Additional Reporting by World Athletics