Kenya finishes second overall after two golds on final day

Kenya secured two gold medals on the final day of the World U20 Athletics Championships to finish second overall in the medal standings. The nation ended the competition with a total of four gold, three silver, and four bronze medals, placing them at the top of the African continent. They finished behind the United States, who recorded 24 medals.

Josephine Sembeyo won the women’s 1,500m gold with a time of 4:16.73. Her victory followed a fall and the loss of a shoe during the race, but a final lap sprint secured the win. American Claire Stegall finished second, trailing Sembeyo by 0.04 seconds, while Kenya's Caren Chepchirchir took the bronze in 4:17.50.

The Kenyan team also achieved a 1-2 finish in the men’s 1,500m. Wilson Chepkwech took the gold medal in 3:37.46, followed by teammate David Kapaiko who secured silver in 3:38.32. Morocco’s Osama Er Redouani earned the bronze medal with a time of 3:39.68.

Additional medals were added to the Kenyan tally in the 3,000m steeplechase. Emmanuel Lemiso earned a silver medal in a personal best time of 8:32.81. Nicholas Kitum completed the podium for Kenya by taking the bronze medal in 8:38.05.