EUGENE, Oregon, USA — Kenya finished second behind hosts United States at the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships after a strong campaign that yielded 11 medals, including four gold, three silver and four bronze.
The championships, held at Hayward Field in Eugene from August 5 to 9, saw Kenya improve significantly on its performance at the 2024 edition in Lima, Peru, where the country finished fifth with seven medals — three gold, three silver and one bronze.
Kenya’s 23-member team, comprising 12 boys and 11 girls, secured six medals on the final day alone, including two gold medals, to finish second on the medal table.
The United States retained the overall title with 24 medals, comprising 12 gold, seven silver and five bronze. Italy finished third with five medals.
Kenya’s gold medal haul
Kenya’s gold medals came from Wilson Chepkwech, Josephine Mancha, Frankline Kibet and Emmanuel Kiprono.
Mancha and Chepkwech delivered victories in the 1,500m, while Kibet and Kiprono added gold medals in the 3,000m and 5,000m respectively.
Kenya also secured three silver medals through David Kapaiko in the 1,500m, Emmanuel Lemiso in the 3,000m steeplechase and Captain Nehemiah Kipngeno in the 5,000m.
The bronze medals went to Caren Chepchirchir in the 1,500m, Nicholas Losiwareng in the 3,000m steeplechase, Joyline Chepkemoi in the 5,000m and Anatasha Cheptoo in the 3,000m steeplechase.
Strong improvement from Lima
Kenya’s second-place finish represents a significant improvement from the 2024 championships in Lima, where the country placed fifth.
The latest performance also underlines Kenya’s continued strength in middle- and long-distance running at junior level, with its medal haul dominated by victories and podium finishes in distance events.
The Oregon championships marked the 21st edition of the World Athletics U20 Championships and returned to Eugene, where Hayward Field hosted the global junior athletics competition.
With four gold medals and 11 medals overall, Kenya emerged as the leading African nation on the final medal standings and finished behind only the dominant hosts, the USA.
