Kenya's winning athletes received a fantastic welcome home Tuesday afternoon after finishing second in the overall medal table at the just ended World Championships in Tokyo with a haul of seven golds.
The Kenyan team took 11 medals overall, in addition to the golds, they won two silver and two bronze and were beaten only by the United States who garnered a total of 26 medals to finish top of the log.
Draped in tinsel, traditional wreaths on their foreheads, the athletes were carried through a large crowd of fans, officials, and their families after emerging from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.
"We knew that we had accomplished the impossible," said three-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon, who won an unprecedented fourth women's world 1 500m. It was amazing seeing "Kenya dominating everything, from the 800m to the marathon", she said.
World champion in the 5,000m and 10,000m, Beatrice Chebet told reporters she already had her eyes on the next prize.
"Being a multiple world champion and multiple Olympic champion. That's what I want now," she said.
Chebet became only the third woman to compete in both the 5 000m and 10 000m at a world championship after Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba and compatriot Vivian Cheruiyot.
Also present were Lilian Odira and Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who won gold in the women's and men's 800m.
"It's quite exciting that we are still the powerhouse of athletics in the whole of Africa. We are the best," said Kenyan coach Alex Sang.
The athletes will now await official communication from State House Nairobi, as they prepare to be officially feted by President William Ruto, and awarded cash prizes.
The country has been awarding winning athletes Ksh 3 million for a Gold Medal, Ksh 2 million for a Silver and Ksh 1 million for each Bronze medal earned.
However, the country's situation is gloomy behind the scenes, with the World Anti-Doping Agency threatening to sanction Kenya's national body for "non-compliance". Some 140 Kenyan athletes, mainly long-distance runners, have been suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit since 2017, more than any other nation.
The Kenyan Anti Doping agency ADAK is under severe pressure to reverse the trend, and Athletics Kenya is working with athletes at grassroots levels to eradicate the vice. It has been challenging, admittedly.
That remains a problem. For now though, celebrations continue in Kenya following the latest athletics success, nothing new for a country which has been used to high level athletics success over the years. They will deal with the rest later.
