•Kipyegon, 28, put in a scintillating show in the women's 1500m final to fire past a competitive field, clocking an impressive 3:52.96 on her way to reclaiming the title she first bagged in 2017.
•Korir, 27, who secured a berth in Team Kenya through a wild card as the 2021 Diamond League winner, clocked 1:43.71 to bag the 800m two-lap race.
Image: FILE
On Sunday, the curtain finally fell on the World Athletics Championships that lit up the University of Oregon's Hayward Field track in the USA between July 15-24.
The 18th edition of the annual global showpiece attracted more than 1900 athletes from 22 nations, with Kenya boasting a significant presence.
All was not glossy and rosy for the East African powerhouse whose athletes failed to live up to their billing.
The Kenyan contingent got off on the wrong footing when a glaring visa hitch saw Africa 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala arrive hours before his race.
Omanyala's dismal performance in the semifinals where he fizzled out to a disappointing sixth spot marked the beginning of the myriad woes Team Kenya faced in the championships.
And before the country could smart from Omanyala's debacle, there was even more dejection after Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola ripped the Kenyan contingent apart in the blistering marathon race.
Tola stormed to a gold medal after timing an impressive 14min 46.29sec. Geoffrey Kamworor was the best-placed Kenyan in the race, placing fifth after a dismal show having run out of steam at most crucial phases of the race.
The script read the same in the men’s 3000m steeplechase finals where Conseslus Kipruto flopped in his bid to defend the title he bagged in Doha, settling for bronze instead.
In Eugene, Kenya was a pale shadow of itself compared to Doha where the country exhibited a sublime show to emerge second behind winners USA.
At the 2019 edition, the East African nation bagged 11 medals including five gold, two silver and four bronze.
The five gold medalists were Ruth Chepngetich (women's marathon), Beatrice Chepkoech ( women's steeplechase), Conseslus Kipruto (men's steeplechase), Hellen Obiri (women's 5000 metres) and Timothy Cheruiyot (men's 1500 metres).
Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi and Faith Kipyegon earned Kenya the silver in the women's 5000 metres and women's 1,500 metres respectively.
Kenya got its bronze medals through Agnes Tirop (women's 10,000 metres), Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich (men's 800 metres), Amos Kipruto (men's marathon), and Rhonex Kipruto (men's 10,000 metres).
In Eugene, Kenya scooped 10 medals to place fourth behind, the USA, Ethiopia and Jamaica. Only Olympic champions Faith Chepng’etich (1,500m) and Emmanuel Korir (800m) won gold medals.
Beatrice Chebet (5,000m), Hellen Obiri (10,000m), Judith Jeptum (marathon), Stanley Waithaka (10,000m) and Jacob Krop( 5,000m) earned the country silver medals.
Margaret Chelimo (10,000m), Mary Moraa (800m) and Conseslus Kipruto (3,000m) bagged bronze. The country's most memorable moments came when Kipyegon and Korir both romped to the gold podium in their respective specialities.
Kipyegon, 28, put in a scintillating show in the women's 1,500m final to fire past a competitive field, clocking an impressive 3:52.96 on her way to reclaiming the title she first bagged in 2017.
Korir, 27, who secured a berth in Team Kenya through a wild card as the 2021 Diamond League winner, clocked 1:43.71 to bag the 800m two-lap race.
All in all, the Kenyan contingent failed to bask in the glory the country is traditionally associated with on the global stage.
Every cloud has a silver lining though. Hopefully, the country's Athletics honchos will find it appropriate to right the wrongs that derailed Kenya's hunt for medals at the Oregon22 championships. Up next Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.