| Kenya at the Olympics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| IOC code | KEN |
| NOC | National Olympic Committee of Kenya |
| Medals Ranked 35th |
|
| Summer appearances | |
| Winter appearances | |
Kenya made its Olympic debut at the1956 Summer Olympics inMelbourne and has since become one of the most prominent nations inOlympic athletics. The country has participated in everySummer Games since its debut, with the exception of the1976 Montreal and1980 Moscow Games, which it boycotted along with several other African nations due to political reasons. Twenty-nine countriesboycotted the 1976 Games[1][2] due to the refusal of the IOC to banNew Zealand, after theNew Zealand national rugby union team hadtoured South Africa earlier in 1976.[3] On the occasion of the1980 Boycotts initiated by theUnited States, BoxerMuhammad Ali traveled toTanzania,Nigeria, andSenegal to unsuccessfully convince their leaders to join the boycott.[4][5][6] He did, however, successfully convince theKenyan government to do so.[7]
Kenya's Olympic achievements are overwhelmingly concentrated intrack and field events, particularly inmiddle- andlong-distance running, where it has established itself as a global powerhouse. Kenyan runners have consistently dominated events ranging from the800 metres to themarathon. The country has also won several medals inboxing, particularly in the 1960s through the 1980s, although recent decades have seen a decline in that sport’s contribution to Kenya’s medal tally.
One of the few African and tropical countries, Kenya participated also in theWinter Olympic Games in1998,2002,2006 and2018. Kenyan athletes have won 124 medals in total, all from boxing and track and field events, making them the most successful African committee at the Olympics.[8]
Another notable development has been the rise of Kenyan women in Olympic competition. While the first Kenyan woman,Pauline Konga, to win an Olympic medal did so in 1996 at theWomen's 5000 metres, by 2016, Kenyan women earned seven of the nation's 13 medals, highlighting a rapid and encouraging rise in female participation and success at the highest levels of sport.
Increasingly, Kenya-born athletes are immigrating to compete in the Olympics for other countries, most notably Bahrain. In the 2016 Olympics, there were ~20 such athletes, including multiple medal winners.
TheNational Olympic Committee representing Kenya is theNational Olympic Committee of Kenya, founded in 1955.[9]
| Games | Athletes | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1956 Melbourne | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 1960 Rome | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 1964 Tokyo | 37 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 35 |
 1968 Mexico City | 39 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 14 |
 1972 Munich | 57 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 19 |
 1976 Montreal | boycotted | |||||
 1980 Moscow | boycotted | |||||
 1984 Los Angeles | 61 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 23 |
 1988 Seoul | 74 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 13 |
 1992 Barcelona | 51 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 21 |
| 1996 Atlanta | 52 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 38 |
| 2000 Sydney | 56 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 29 |
 2004 Athens | 46 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 41 |
 2008 Beijing | 48 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 16 | 13 |
 2012 London | 47 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 28 |
 2016 Rio de Janeiro | 89 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 15 |
| 2020 Tokyo | 85 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 19 |
 2024 Paris | 72 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 17 |
| 2028 Los Angeles | future event | |||||
| 2032 Brisbane | ||||||
| Total (16/30) | 866 | 39 | 44 | 41 | 124 | 33 |
| Games | Athletes | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 Nagano | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002 Salt Lake City | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006 Turin | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010 Vancouver | did not participate | |||||
 2014 Sochi | ||||||
| 2018 Pyeongchang | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022 Beijing | did not participate | |||||
| 2026 Milano Cortina | future event | |||||
| Total (4/24) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Sport | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Athletics | 38 | 43 | 36 | 117 |
 Boxing | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 |
| Totals (2 entries) | 39 | 44 | 41 | 124 |
| Athlete | Sex | Sport | Events | Years | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faith Kipyegon | F | Athletics | 1500 m, 5000m | 2012–2024 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Kipchoge Keino | M | Athletics | 1500 m, 5000 m, 3000 m st. | 1964–1972 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Eliud Kipchoge | M | Athletics | 5000 m, marathon | 2004–2020 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Ezekiel Kemboi | M | Athletics | 3000 m st. | 2004–2016 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| David Rudisha | M | Athletics | 800 m | 2012–2016 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Beatrice Chebet | F | Athletics | 5000 m, 10,000m | 2024 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Vivian Cheruiyot | F | Athletics | 5000 m, 10,000 m | 2000–2016 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Charles Asati | M | Athletics | 4 × 400 m | 1968–1976 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Munyoro Nyamau | M | Athletics | 4 × 400 m | 1968–1972 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Brimin Kipruto | M | Athletics | 3000 m st. | 2004–2016 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Julius Sang | M | Athletics | 400 m,4 × 400 m | 1968–1972 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Naftali Temu | M | Athletics | 5000 m, 10,000 m | 1964–1972 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Pamela Jelimo | F | Athletics | 800 m | 2008–2012 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Hellen Obiri | F | Athletics | 5000 m, Marathon | 2016–2024 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Paul Bitok | M | Athletics | 5000 m | 1992–1996 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Paul Tergat | M | Athletics | 10,000 m | 1996–2000 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Catherine Ndereba | F | Athletics | Marathon | 2004–2008 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Wilson Kiprugut | M | Athletics | 800 m | 1964–1968 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Philip Waruinge | M | Boxing | Featherweight | 1968–1972 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Erick Wainaina | M | Athletics | Marathon | 1996–2000 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Bernard Lagat | M | Athletics | 1500 m | 2000–2004 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Hyvin Jepkemoi | F | Athletics | 3000 m st. | 2016–2020 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
