Kenya’s athletics team has found new hope at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo after 17-year-old Edmund Serem delivered an outstanding performance in the 3000m steeplechase heats.

Serem clocked 8:29.97 to win Heat 1, securing his spot in the final and lifting the Kenyan camp’s spirits just hours after the national team suffered a heartbreaking disqualification in the men’s 4x400m relay due to a lane infringement.

The teenager displayed composure and maturity beyond his years, leading the race from the front and holding off late pressure from a competitive field. 

His performance marks one of the best debuts by a Kenyan junior in recent years.

Joining Serem in the final is fellow Kenyan Abraham kibiwot, who finished second in Heat 2, ensuring double Kenyan representation in the medal round of the signature steeplechase event.

The mood in Team Kenya’s camp had been a tensed one earlier in the day after the 4x400m relay team was ruled out due to a technical lane violation, ending hopes of a podium finish in the sprint relay event.

Kenya will now turn its focus to the steeplechase final, where expectations are high as the country looks to reclaim dominance in one of its most iconic events.