Born in Kenya, Winfred Yavi won Olympic gold in the 3000m steeplechase for his adopted country, Bahrain, at the Paris 2024 Olympics, who changed her nationality in 2014 and began representing Bahrain in 2016. Dominated the race, putting on an Olympic race,record of 8 minutes 52.76 seconds. Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech took first place and was neck and neck with Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai, but faltered in the final lap to finish sixth, while France’s Alice Finot celebrated her fourth place finish in a very competitive race. Chepkoech, 33, holds the world record of 8:44.32 but has never won an Olympic medal in the event. In Tokyo, it was Chemutai who pulled off a surprise and took gold from favorite Chepkoech, becoming the first Ugandan woman to win an Olympic medal in all sports. The win marks a significant moment for Yavi, who has faced criticism and backlash for her decision to represent Bahrain. In an interview after the race, the 28-year-old revealed that she had been overlooked by the Kenyan selectors despite her impressive performance, citing corruption as a major obstacle.

“For a long time I tried to represent Kenya, but I never had the chance. They told me that I had to pay $2,000 to be selected, which was impossible for me,” she said.

Although Yavi represented Bahrain internationally, he dedicated his Olympic success to Kenya, her country of birth. “I want to tell my fellow Kenyans that this medal means a lot to me and my team here, and it’s also a dream come true for me,” she said after her win. In addition to the 2024 Olympic gold medal, Yavi won several high-profile competitions, such as the 2023 World Championship and the 2024 Diamond League Paris Series, among others.