Africa-Press – Kenya. Team Kenya’s campaign at the World Indoor Championships in Kujawy Pomorze, Poland, came to a disappointing conclusion over the weekend, as the country once again finished without a medal despite several spirited performances.
The eight-athlete squad had travelled to Poland seeking redemption after a barren outing at the 2025 edition in Nanjing, China. While the elusive podium finish remained out of reach, there were encouraging signs—particularly in the sprints—suggesting gradual progress in disciplines beyond Kenya’s traditional distance stronghold.
The standout performance came from Mercy Oketch in the women’s 400m final. The national record holder delivered a composed and powerful run to finish fifth in 51.25 seconds, shaving time off her own indoor mark of 51.53 set just weeks earlier.
In a high-quality race, Czech Republic’s Lurdes Manuel stormed to gold in 50.76, with Poland’s Natalia Bukowiecka (50.83) and the Netherlands’ Lieke Klaver (51.02) completing the podium.
Oketch’s result, though just outside the medals, signalled Kenya’s growing competitiveness in the one-lap event. Brian Tinega, however, endured a difficult outing in the men’s 400m final, finishing eighth in 46.62.
Canada’s Christopher Morales-Williams dominated the race in a championship record 44.76, ahead of American Khaleb McRae (45.03) and Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards (45.39).
Kenya’s traditional strength in middle-distance events yielded mixed results. Noah Kibet fell agonisingly short of the men’s 800m final after placing fourth in his heat in 1:45.73, narrowly missing qualification in a tightly contested race.
Despite the disappointment, Kibet remained philosophical, reflecting on the fine margins at elite level. “The race was so tough. I tried my best even though it didn’t go the way I wanted.
You have to be happy even when you lose,” he said. Jacob Krop came closest to ending Kenya’s medal drought in the men’s 3,000m final, finishing fourth in 7:36.76 in one of the most competitive races of the championships.
Britain’s Josh Kerr edged a thrilling finish in 7:35.56, just ahead of American Cole Hocker (7:35.70), while France’s Yann Schrub (7:35.71) claimed bronze.
Krop’s performance underlined his consistency at the highest level, even as the podium narrowly slipped away. “I am grateful for a fourth-place finish. The medal escaped me, but I am pleased with the result,” he said.
The challenges for Team Kenya were evident from the opening day, particularly in the women’s 800m, where both Rosemary Longisa and Gladys Chepngetich exited in the heats.
Longisa finished fifth in 2:03.48 in a race won by world record holder Keely Hodgkinson, while Chepngetich also placed fifth in her heat in 2:02.23. Both athletes, however, viewed the experience as an important step in their development on the global stage.
“It was a good experience for me,” Longisa said.
“Running against professional athletes is hard, but I tried my best,” Chepngetich added.
Festus Lagat’s campaign in the men’s 1,500m followed a similar script, with the Kenyan finishing seventh in his heat in 3:40.26 to miss out on the final.
