| Noc: | KEN |
| Nocname: | National Olympic Committee of Kenya |
| Games: | Summer Olympics |
| Year: | 2016 |
| Location: | Rio de Janeiro |
| Competitors: | 89 |
| Sports: | 7 |
| Flagbearer: | Shehzana Anwar (opening)[1] Mercy Cherono (closing) |
| Rank: | 15 |
| Gold: | 6 |
| Silver: | 6 |
| Bronze: | 1 |
| Appearances: | auto |
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.
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]
See main article: article and Archery at the 2016 Summer Olympics. One Kenyan archer qualified for the women's individual recurve by obtaining one of the three Olympic places available from the 2016 African Archery Championships in Windhoek, Namibia, anticipating the nation's Olympic return to the sport for the first time since 2000.[10]
See main article: article and Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Kenyan athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event):[11] [12]
Six marathon runners (three per gender) were named to the Kenyan team on May 10, 2016, with 42 more athletes (29 men and 13 women) joining them and being added to the roster on July 2, 2016, based on their performances achieved throughout the qualifying period. Among them were reigning Olympic men's 800 metres champion David Rudisha, two-time steeplechase gold medalist Ezekiel Kemboi, 2015 Worlds champions Julius Yego (javelin throw) and Nicholas Bett (400 m hurdles), and double Olympic medalist Vivian Cheruiyot in long-distance running.[13]
| Athlete | Event | Heat | Semifinal | Final | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | |||
| Mike Mokamba | align=left rowspan=2 | 200 m | Did not advance | |||||
| Carvin Nkanata | 21.43 | 8 | Did not advance | |||||
| Raymond Kibet | align=left rowspan=3 | 400 m | 46.15 | 5 | Did not advance | |||
| Alphas Kishoyian | 46.74 | 6 | Did not advance | |||||
| Alex Sampao | 46.62 | 7 | Did not advance | |||||
| Alfred Kipketer | align=left rowspan=3 | 800 m | 1:46.61 | 1 Q | 1:44.38 | 1 Q | 1:46.02 | 7 |
| Ferguson Rotich | 1:46.00 | 2 Q | 1:44.65 | 4 q | 1:43.55 | 5 | ||
| David Rudisha | 1:45.09 | 1 Q | 1:43.88 | 1 Q | 1:42.15 | |||
| Asbel Kiprop | align=left rowspan=3 | 1500 m | 3:38.97 | 1 Q | 3:39.73 | 1 Q | 3:50.87 | 6 |
| Ronald Kwemoi | 3:38.33 | 2 Q | 3:39.42 | 1 Q | 3:56.76 | 13 | ||
| Elijah Manangoi | 3:46.83 | 2 Q | Did not advance | |||||
| Isiah Koech | align=left rowspan=3 | 5000 m | 13:25.15 | 12 | Did not advance | |||
| Charles Muneria | 13:30.95 | 12 | Did not advance | |||||
| Caleb Ndiku | 13:26.63 | 6 | Did not advance | |||||
| Geoffrey Kamworor | align=left rowspan=3 | 10000 m | 27:31.94 | 11 | ||||
| Bedan Karoki Muchiri | 27:22.93 | 5 | ||||||
| Paul Tanui | 27:05.64 | |||||||
| Nicholas Bett | align=left rowspan=3 | 400 m hurdles | Did not advance | |||||
| Aron Koech | 48.77 | 1 Q | 48.49 | 1 Q | 49.09 | 7 | ||
| Boniface Mucheru | 48.91 | 2 Q | 48.85 | 2 Q | 47.78 NR | |||
| Ezekiel Kemboi | align=left rowspan=3 | 3000 m steeplechase | 8:25.51 | 3 Q | ||||
| Brimin Kipruto | 8:26.25 | 2 Q | 8:18.79 | 7 | ||||
| Conseslus Kipruto | 8:21.40 | 1 Q | 8:03.28 | |||||
| Stanley Biwott | align=left rowspan=3 | Marathon | ||||||
| Eliud Kipchoge | 2:08:44 | |||||||
| Wesley Korir | ||||||||
| Samuel Gathimba | align=left rowspan=2 | 20 km walk | ||||||
| Simon Wachira | ||||||||
| Athlete | Event | Heat | Semifinal | Final | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | |||
| Winnie Chebet | align=left rowspan=3 | 800 m | 2:01.65 | 2 Q | 2:01.90 | 6 | Did not advance | |
| Eunice Sum | 1:59.83 | 1 Q | 2:00.88 | 7 | Did not advance | |||
| Margaret Wambui | 1:59.66 | 2 Q | 1:59.21 | 1 Q | 1:56.89 | |||
| Nancy Chepkwemoi | align=left rowspan=3 | 1500 m | 4:15.41 | 11 | Did not advance | |||
| Faith Kipyegon | 4:06.65 | 2 Q | 4:03.95 | 1 Q | 4:08.92 | |||
| Viola Cheptoo Lagat | 4:08.09 | 8 q | 4:06.83 | 6 | Did not advance | |||
| Mercy Cherono | align=left rowspan=3 | 5000 m | 15:19.56 | 3 Q | 14:42.89 | 4 | ||
| Vivian Cheruiyot | 15:17.74 | 3 Q | 14:26.17 | |||||
| Hellen Obiri | 15:19.38 | 1 Q | 14:29.77 | |||||
| Alice Aprot | align=left rowspan=3 | 10000 m | 29:53.51 | 4 | ||||
| Vivian Cheruiyot | 29:32.53 NR | |||||||
| Betsy Saina | 30:07.78 | 5 | ||||||
| Maureen Jelagat | 400 m hurdles | 57.97 | 8 | Did not advance | ||||
| Beatrice Chepkoech | align=left rowspan=3 | 3000 m steeplechase | 9:17.55 | 1 Q | 9:16.05 | 4 | ||
| Hyvin Jepkemoi | 9:24.61 | 1 Q | 9:07.12 | |||||
| Lydia Rotich | 9:30.21 | 5 q | 9:29.90 | 13 | ||||
| Visiline Jepkesho | align=left rowspan=3 | Marathon | 2:46:05 | 86 | ||||
| Helah Kiprop | ||||||||
| Jemima Sumgong | 2:24:04 | |||||||
| Grace Wanjiru | 20 km walk | 1:37:49 | 42 | |||||
See main article: article and Boxing at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Kenya has entered three boxers to compete in each of the following weight classes into the Olympic boxing tournament. Rayton Okwiri had claimed his Olympic spot with a semifinal victory at the 2016 African Qualification Tournament in Yaoundé, Cameroon.[14] Meanwhile, light flyweight boxer Peter Mungai Warui had received a spare Olympic berth as the next highest-ranked boxer, not yet qualified, in the same meet, due to South Africa's decision not to accept spots through the continental qualifier.
Bantamweight boxer and London 2012 Olympian Benson Gicharu rounded out the Kenyan roster with his semifinal triumph at the 2016 APB and WSB Olympic Qualifier in Vargas, Venezuela.[15]
| Athlete | Event | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Rank | |||
| Peter Mungai Warui | Men's light flyweight | W 2–1 | L 0–3 | Did not advance | ||||
| Benson Gicharu | Men's bantamweight | L 0–3 | Did not advance | |||||
| Rayton Okwiri | Men's welterweight | W 2–1 | L 0–3 | Did not advance | ||||
See main article: article and Judo at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Kenya has qualified one judoka for the men's middleweight category (90 kg) at the Games, signifying the nation's Olympic comeback to the sport for the first time since 1992. Kiplangat Sang earned a continental quota spot from the African region, as the highest-ranked Kenyan judoka outside of direct qualifying position in the IJF World Ranking List of May 30, 2016.[16]
See main article: article and Rugby sevens at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
See main article: article and Rugby sevens at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament. Kenyan men's rugby sevens team qualified for the Olympics by winning the 2015 Africa Cup Sevens in Johannesburg, South Africa.[17]
See main article: article and Rugby sevens at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament. Kenyan women's rugby sevens team qualified for the Olympics by attaining a runner-up finish at the 2015 Women's Africa Cup Sevens in Johannesburg, as the qualifying winners South Africa decided not to accept their Olympic berth.[18]
See main article: article and Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Kenya has received a Universality invitation from FINA to send two swimmers (one male and one female) to the Olympics.[19] [20] [21]
| Athlete | Event | Heat | Semifinal | Final | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | |||
| Hamdan Bayusuf | Men's 100 m backstroke | 1:00.28 | 38 | Did not advance | ||||
| Talisa Lanoe | Women's 100 m backstroke | 1:10.02 | 33 | Did not advance | ||||
See main article: article and Weightlifting at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Kenya has received an unused quota place from IWF to send a male weightlifter to the Olympics.[22] [23]