Faith Kipyegon has urged Kenyan male athletes to improve. Photos: PSCU

Faith Kipyegon has urged Kenyan male athletes to improve after women won the bulk of the country’s medals at the 2025 World Championships.

Four-time world 1,500m champion Faith Kipyegon has challenged Kenyan male athletes to help increase the country’s medal count in future competitions.

Kenyan men were trounced by their female counterparts yet again as they managed just one of the seven gold medals won by Team Kenya at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

Team Kenya won a total of 11 medals, seven gold, two silver and as many bronze, with six gold and the two silver won by women as their male counterparts contributed one gold and the two bronze.

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Kipyegon (1,500m), Beatrice Chebet (5,000m and 10,000m), Lilian Odira (800m), Faith Cherotich (3,000m steeplechase) and Pere Jepchirchir (marathon) won gold.

Dorcas Ewoi (1,500m) and Kipyegon (5,000m) claimed silver as Emmanuel Wanyonyi won gold in 800m, to save the day for the men, with Reynold Cehruiyot (1,500m) and Edmund Serem (3,000m steeplechase) weighing in with bronze.

While reliving the moments from Tokyo, Kipyegon was thrilled by how well Team Kenya performed, thanking the government for the support and also reserved praise for the Kenyan embassy in Japan for making it feel at home, especially when it came to availing Kenyan delicacies.

“Let me take this opportunity to say a big thank you to ambassador in Tokyo Moi Lemoshira. He did an amazing job to look for Ugali for Wanyonyi,” Kipyegon said when the athletes met President William Ruto at State House Nairobi on Thursday.

“I do not think we would have won a [800m] gold medal if it was not for the ugali. It helped him [Wanyonyi] to the finish line as we won a gold from the men as well,” she added, explaining the power of the Kenyan staple on the performance of Wanyonyi, who won the 800m race by the tiniest of margins.

The three-time Olympics champion then did not mince her words while addressing her male counterparts.

“We did amazing as women; we came back home with six gold medals and one gold medal from the men. So men, you have to pull your socks up,” she said.

Kenyan women have come to the rescue at the last three championships, having also outperformed men at the 2023 World Championships as well as the Paris 2024 Olympics.