Kenya tops medal table at World Athletics Championships

By BBC

Kenya has come top of the overall medal table at the World Athletics Championships in Beijing for the first time, with seven gold medals.

Kenya also won six silver and three bronze medals, with Jamaica and the US in second and third place respectively.

Their final gold medal was won by Asbel Kiprop in the 1500m.

President Uhuru Kenyatta tweeted: "Our young people have once again shown that they are as good as the world's best and brightest."

"I'm so proud of myself to become a member of this exclusive club of three-times world champions," said Kiprop after his victory.

His was part of a strong Kenyan performance its traditional domains of middle- and long-distance running, with gold medals for David Rudisha in the men's 800m Vivian Cheruiyot in the women's 10,000m and Ezekiel Kemboi and Hyvin Jepkemoi triumphing in the men's and women's 3,000m steeplechase respectively.

Nicholas Bett won in the 400m hurdles and Julius Yego became the first Kenyan field event athlete to win a medal at the championships with victory in the men's javelin.

On Wednesday it was announced that two Kenyan athletes at the championships had been suspended after failing drugs tests.