| Kenya at the 2016 Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| IOC code | KEN |
| NOC | National Olympic Committee of Kenya |
| in Rio de Janeiro | |
| Competitors | 89 in 7 sports |
| Flag bearers | Shehzana Anwar (opening) [1] Mercy Cherono (closing) |
| Medals Ranked 15th |
|
| Summer Olympics appearances (overview) | |
Kenya competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's fourteenth appearance at the Summer Olympics.
Contents
- Medalists
- Archery
- Athletics (track and field)
- Boxing
- Judo
- Rugby sevens
- Men's tournament
- Women's tournament
- Swimming
- Weightlifting
- See also
- References
- External links
The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) sent its largest ever delegation to the Games, with 89 athletes, 47 men and 42 women, competing across seven sports. [2] Among the sports represented by the nation's athletes, Kenya marked its Olympic debut in rugby sevens (new to the 2016 Games), as well as its return to archery after 16 years and judo after 24 years. As usual, athletics had the largest team by sport with 48 athletes, roughly more than half of the nation's full roster size.
The Kenyan roster was highlighted by five past Olympic medalists, including world record holder David Rudisha in the men's 800 metres, middle-distance runner Asbel Kiprop, steeplechasers Brimin Kipruto and Ezekiel Kemboi, and four-time Olympian Vivian Cheruiyot, who previously won two medals in long-distance running at London 2012. Other notable Kenyan athletes featured Africa's top javelin thrower and 2015 world champion Julius Yego, and archer Shehzana Anwar, who was eventually chosen as the nation's flag bearer in the opening ceremony. [1] [3]
Due to Kenya's national anti-doping organisation having been declared non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code, the International Olympic Committee decided on 21 June 2016 that the eligibility of Kenyan athletes should be decided on an individual basis by the International Federation, governing each sport. [4]
Despite the controversies, Kenya left Rio de Janeiro with 13 medals (6 golds, 6 silver, and 1 bronze), marking its most successful outcome in Olympic history based on the medal position. [5] [6] All of these medals were awarded to the track and field athletes, with Rudisha successfully retaining his men's 800 m title. [7] For the first time in history, Kenya obtained medals in the field events and hurdles through Yego and Boniface Mucheru, respectively, as well as the women's marathon title from Jemima Sumgong. Tantalizing results in women's distance running saw Cheruiyot and Faith Kipyegon upstage the race favorites from Ethiopia to take the gold medals. Meanwhile, Conseslus Kipruto surpassed the defending champion Kemboi to earn Kenya's eleventh overall title in the men's 3000 m steeplechase. Kemboi, who initially won bronze to become the first steeplechaser with three Olympic medals, was eventually disqualified for stepping off the track at the water jump phase. [8] [9]
