This archive report was first published on 21 August 2021.
Kenya's Heristone Wanyonyi made history at the World Athletics U20 Championships, held at the Moi International Sports Complex, by becoming the first Kenyan to win gold in the men's 10,000m race walk event on August 21, 2021.
Wanyonyi's impressive performance took Kenya's medal tally to six, with four gold, two silver, and two bronze medals. He clocked 48:10.84, outpacing India's Amit, who settled for silver with a time of 42:17.94, while Spaniard Paul McGrath took bronze.
Wanyonyi's strategy involved skipping the last water point and maintaining a three-step lead, which allowed him to secure the win. He stated, 'I was not expecting to win but I decided to skip the last water point and one I had three steps lead, I knew that I was close to winning. I never allowed him (Amit) to catch up with me,'
Wanyonyi's achievement marked a significant milestone for Kenya in the World Athletics U20 Championships.