Africa 3,000m steeplechase champion Benjamin Kigen won the first medal for kenya at the ongoing Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
Despite keyans dominating the race since Amos Biwott set the pace in 1968, it was the first time that Kenya lost the title to Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali as Kigen settled for bronze.
El Bakkali sprinted past Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma who settled for silver with Kigen settling for bronze after clocking 8:08.90, 8:10.38 and 8:11.50 in that order.
Biwott won the title during the 1968 Mexico and since then, Kenya had never lost an Olympic title men’s 3,000m steeplechase.
Biwott (1968, Mexico), Kipchoge Keino (1972, Munich), 1976 (Montreal, Kenya boycotted), 1980 (Moscow, Kenya boycotted), Julius Korir (1984, Los Angeles), Julius Kariuki (1988, Seoul), Mathew Birir (1992, Barcelona), Joseph Keter (1996, Atlanta), Reuben Kosgei (2000, Sydney), Ezekiel Kemboi (2004, Athens), Brimin Kipruto (2008, Beijing), Ezekiel Kemboi (2012, London) and Conseslus Kipruto (2016, Rio de Janeiro).