Kenya (KEN)

Overview

NOCNational Olympic Committee Kenya
Flagbearers46

Participants

Olympic Games 584
Youth Olympic Games 54

Description

The Kenyan National Olympic Committee was founded on 14 February 1955 and recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the IOC session in Paris, on 17 June of the same year. In 1956, it made its Olympic début and, since then, it has been absent only from the Olympics of 1976 and 1980, both of which it boycotted. Kenya has won 113 Olympic medals through 2022, with 35 gold.

Kenya has won seven medals in boxing, but all of its 106 other medals are due to its excellent runners, led by its first great runner – Kip Keino. Keino won a total of four medals, with two gold and two silver between 1964-1972. He is followed by Eliud Kipchoge, with two golds (in the marathon) and a silver and a bronze (in the 5,000 metres), and by Vivian Cheruiyot, with one gold, two silver and one bronze. Three other runners have won two gold medals representing Kenya: Ezekiel Kemboi won gold in 2004 and 2012, in the men’s 3,000 metres steeplechase; David Rudisha won gold in 2012 and 2016, in the men’s 800 metres; and Faith Kipyegon won gold in 2016 and 2020, in the women’s 1,500 metres.

Kenya first competed at the Olympic Winter Games in 1998, when their sole representative, Philip Boit, competed in cross-country skiing. Boit was the nephew of former Kenyan middle-distance Olympian Mike Boit, and competed again at the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics. Sabrina Simader was Kenya’s first female Winter Olympian, in Alpine skiing, at PyeongChang 2018. Kenya has competed at the 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2018 Olympic Winter Games, with Boit and Simader being their only Winter Olympians to date.

In 1966, the Olympic Committee of Kenya was awarded with the Count Alberto Bonacossa Trophy.

Participations by edition

Olympic Games

Edition As Men Women Total
1956 Summer Olympics Kenya 24 1 25 Results
1960 Summer Olympics Kenya 27 0 27 Results
1964 Summer Olympics Kenya 37 0 37 Results
1968 Summer Olympics Kenya 36 3 39 Results
1972 Summer Olympics Kenya 55 2 57 Results
1984 Summer Olympics Kenya 56 5 61 Results
1988 Summer Olympics Kenya 70 4 74 Results
1992 Summer Olympics Kenya 40 9 49 Results
1996 Summer Olympics Kenya 42 10 52 Results
1998 Winter Olympics Kenya 1 0 1 Results
2000 Summer Olympics Kenya 34 22 56 Results
2002 Winter Olympics Kenya 1 0 1 Results
2004 Summer Olympics Kenya 22 24 46 Results
2006 Winter Olympics Kenya 1 0 1 Results
2008 Summer Olympics Kenya 28 18 46 Results
2012 Summer Olympics Kenya 27 20 47 Results
2016 Summer Olympics Kenya 46 33 79 Results
2018 Winter Olympics Kenya 0 1 1 Results
2020 Summer Olympics Kenya 36 49 85 Results

Youth Olympic Games

Edition As Men Women Total
2010 Summer Youth Olympics Kenya 5 5 10 Results
2014 Summer Youth Olympics Kenya 19 5 24 Results
2016 Winter Youth Olympics Kenya 0 1 1 Results
2018 Summer Youth Olympics Kenya 14 5 19 Results

Participations by discipline

Olympic Games

Discipline (Sport) Men Women Total
Alpine Skiing (Skiing) 0 1 1 Results
Archery 1 2 3 Results
Athletics 231 88 319 Results
Beach Volleyball (Volleyball) 0 2 2 Results
Boxing 52 3 55 Results
Cross Country Skiing (Skiing) 1 0 1 Results
Cycling Mountain Bike (Cycling) 1 0 1 Results
Hockey 69 0 69 Results
Judo 8 0 8 Results
Rowing 2 0 2 Results
Rugby Sevens (Rugby) 21 22 43 Results
Sailing 4 0 4 Results
Shooting 19 0 19 Results
Swimming (Aquatics) 6 5 11 Results
Taekwondo 1 2 3 Results
Volleyball (Volleyball) 0 31 31 Results
Weightlifting 7 1 8 Results
Wrestling 4 0 4 Results

Youth Olympic Games

Discipline (Sport) Men Women Total
Alpine Skiing (Skiing) 0 1 1 Results
Athletics 15 13 28 Results
Hockey 5s 9 0 9 Results
Rugby Sevens (Rugby) 12 0 12 Results
Sailing 0 1 1 Results
Swimming (Aquatics) 1 1 2 Results
Weightlifting 1 0 1 Results

Medals by Games

Edition Competition Type Gold Silver Bronze Total
2016 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 6 6 1 13
2008 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 6 4 6 16
1988 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 5 2 2 9
2020 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 4 4 2 10
1968 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 3 4 2 9
2018 Summer Youth Olympics Youth Olympic Games 3 1 0 4
2010 Summer Youth Olympics Youth Olympic Games 3 0 3 6
2012 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 2 4 7 13
1992 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 2 4 2 8
1972 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 2 3 4 9
2000 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 2 3 2 7
2014 Summer Youth Olympics Youth Olympic Games 2 2 1 5
1996 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 1 4 3 8
2004 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 1 4 2 7
1984 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 1 0 2 3
1964 Summer Olympics Olympic Games 0 0 1 1

Medals by sport

Olympic Games

Sport Gold Silver Bronze Total
Athletics 34 41 31 106
Boxing 1 1 5 7

Youth Olympic Games

Sport Gold Silver Bronze Total
Athletics 8 3 4 15

Most successful competitors

Includes medals won as part of mixed teams.

Olympic Games

Athlete Nat Gold Silver Bronze Total
Kip Keino KEN 2 2 0 4
Eliud Kipchoge KEN 2 1 1 4
Ezekiel Kemboi KEN 2 0 0 2
David Rudisha KEN 2 0 0 2
Faith Kipyegon KEN 2 0 0 2
Vivian Cheruiyot KEN 1 2 1 4
Charles Asati KEN 1 1 0 2
Munyoro Nyamau KEN 1 1 0 2
Brimin Kipruto KEN 1 1 0 2
Julius Sang KEN 1 0 1 2
Naftali Temu KEN 1 0 1 2
Pamela Jelimo KEN 1 0 1 2

Youth Olympic Games

Athlete Nat Gold Silver Bronze Total
Gladys Chesir KEN 1 0 0 1
Virginia Nyambura KEN 1 0 0 1
Peter Matheka Mutuku KEN 1 0 0 1
Rosefline Chepngetich KEN 1 0 0 1
Gilbert Kwemoi Soet KEN 1 0 0 1
Jackson Muema KEN 1 0 0 1
Fancy Cherono KEN 1 0 0 1
Edinah Jebitok KEN 1 0 0 1
Winfred Mbithe KEN 0 1 0 1
Amos Kirui KEN 0 1 0 1
Mercy Chepkorir Kirarei KEN 0 1 0 1

IOC Members

Reggie Alexander 1960—1990
Charles Mukora 1990—1999
Kip Keino 2000—2010
Kip Keino 2010—
Paul Tergat 2013—
Humphrey Kayange 2021—