It turned into a memorable night for Team Kenya as they made a strong resurgence in the medal standings with just two days to go.
After enduring a medal-less Thursday, the country regained its momentum by bagging two hard-earned silver medals, bringing smiles back to millions of sports fans across the nation.
African Silver medalist Stephen Ndangiri Kihu and World Champion Lilian Odira spearheaded the heroic night, both delivering stellar performances in their respective events.
Ndangiri Pushes Limits in Epic Race Walk Rivalry
Stephen Ndangiri renewed his fierce rivalry with Australia’s Isaac Beacroft—a battle that first captured attention during the 2024 World U20 Athletics Championships in Lima, Peru.
Ndangiri pushed his Australian counterpart to the absolute limit before settling for silver in a personal best time of 38:46.57. Beacroft clinched the gold with a season’s best performance of 38:45.51.
Speaking after his race, an elated Ndangiri shared his gratitude and reflection on the intense competition: “Qualifying to come here, I was really grateful, I was happy… Finally, I’m here, I’ve got the silver medal. It’s a good start for me because it’s a first global medal outside Africa. It has been a good season for me being a national champion, African silver medalist, Commonwealth silver medalist—I think this is the best season ever, but I know there are many more to come.”
Reflecting on his progression against Beacroft since their encounter in Lima, Ndangiri highlighted his growth: “The guy, Beacroft, the Australian, we were with him in Lima 2024. Actually, it was not good because he ended up number four, I ended up number nine. Between us, there was almost one minute, but today I think it’s less than five seconds… so it means I’m closing the gap. For me and him, the difference is experience. He has competed a lot… but I thank God for what I did and I’m grateful.”
Ndangiri credited his mental discipline and tactical guidance from his coach for helping him drop nearly eight seconds off his previous best time without burning out: “It was mental control and the coach outside there—Coach Kirwa is part of that because he controlled me. He was telling me when I’m going too fast… He helped me know when to surge, who to watch, and who is closing behind… so I could stay with the guy.”
He also expressed pride in making history for Kenyan athletics in race walking: “People always seem to doubt… but I’m grateful that now all of them have to look at me differently and believe me when I say I’m going for it. I’m happy I’m the one setting the bar, happy for the national record… It’s a big thing for me and the best ever in Kenya.”
Odira Executes Late Comeback in 800m
In the women’s 800m final, World Champion Lilian Odiradelivered a dramatic, nail-biting finish to claim silver in 2:00.58.
Odira found herself uncharacteristically pinned at the back of the pack during the opening lap and struggled to clear space as the bell rang.
Forced to dig deep, she launched a late surge over the final 200 meters to power into a photo-finish position for second place.
“I realized that I had been boxed when it was too late, at the bell. By the time we were about 200m to go I noticed I was in serious trouble, so I decided that I should at least strive to pick a silver medal, but it was not easy,” Odira noted after the race.
Action on the Judo Mat
In the men’s Judo 60kg elimination round, Kenya’s 22-year-old judoka put up a strong fight, overpowering Sri Lanka’s Wimukthi Arachchige 3-2.
However, his journey in the main bracket came to a halt in the quarter-finals after a tough loss to Australia’s 36-year-old veteran, Pedro Carlos.
He bounced back resiliently in the 60kg repechage round to defeat Allan MonthOuel of Vanuatu, keeping Kenya’s presence alive on the mat.
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