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Kenya has had a disappointing first week at the Paris 2024 Olympics but which events represent the country’s best chance of winning gold?
Team Kenya had a bad opening week at the Paris Olympics when it missed out on a medal but there is hope that the final week will bring a positive outcome.
Like the Tokyo 2020 Games, it appears that women will save the day for Kenya once again as most of the remaining gold medal prospects are female.
Heading into the final week, Pulse Sports identifies the events where Kenya will likely win gold medals in.
Women’s 5,000m
Kenya will likely claim its first gold medal on Monday when world champion Faith Kipyegon leads Beatrice Chebet and Maragaret Chelimo in search of the 5,000m title.
The race has the likes of Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan and world record holder Gudaf Tsegay but all eyes will be on Kipyegon on Monday night (10.15pm Kenyan time).
With her experience, there is hope that if she executes a good strategy, she will win the first of the two gold medals she is vying for in Paris while in Chebet, Kenya have a good backup in case the middle distance queen has a bad day at the office.
Women’s 800m
Team Kenya will likely end the day with two gold medals as Mary Moraa is among the favourites in the women’s 800m whose final will also take place on Monday night (10.47 pm Kenyan time).
Moraa easily made it into the final when she won her semifinal heat while compatriots Vivian Chebet and Lilian Odira missed out and she will have to execute a solo act to claim an Olympics gold.
Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson is the biggest threat to Moraa’s ambition but having beaten her at the 2023 World Championships, there is hope of lightning striking twice.
Men’s 800m
Algerian Djamel Sedjati has been hot to handle heading into the Olympics while world champion Marco Arop is keen to add an Olympics title to his collection but youngster Emmanuel Wanyonyi cannot be wished away.
Wanyonyi won silver at the 2023 World Championships and has been improving since. He clocked the word’s third fastest time at the Olympics trials in June before Sedjati lowered it further last month but he has stayed close to his main competitors throughout.
If he executes a good race in Paris, there is every chance of winning a gold that has been won by Kenyans since the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
Women’s 1,500m
The assumption is that the women’s 1,500m is already sewn up even before the race starts but Faith Kipyegon must be in good shape to complete the inevitable.
Kipyegon is the undisputed queen of the race and having won Olympics gold in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, few will bet against a third straight gold medal over the distance.
She laid the marker last month when she broke her own world record at the Paris Diamond League and will be returning to the track for more on Saturday.
Men’s Marathon
The penultimate day of the Olympics on Saturday August 10 could start with another gold medal for Kenya when veteran Eliud Kipchoge, Benson Kipruto and Alexander Mutiso hit the streets of Paris in search of marathon glory.
Kipchoge has claimed back-to-back titles and is looking for a third straight crown but there are doubts over his form.
However, Kipruto and Mutiso provide enough options for Kenya to retain their title in case the marathon great does not impress.
Women’s marathon
The Olympics will conclude with the women’s Marathon on Sunday August 11 and defending champion Peres Jepchichir is hot favourite to retain her title.
Her victory in London in April in a new women-only world record underlined her status as one of the greats and even though world record holder Tigist Assefa of Ethiopia is in the race, Kenya can be confident of victory.
In case Jepchichir disappoints, double Boston Marathon winner Hellen Obiri and Sharon Lokedi will be there to capitalise.
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