Kenya takes silver in mens 4x200m at World Relays

Hesborn Ochieng anchored Kenya for its best ever finish in the men’s 4x200m at a World Relays Championships, leading the team to a 1:24.26 finish for second place behind Germany who took gold in 1:22.43.

The result on Sunday at the Silesian stadium in Chorzow, Poland took Kenya’s medal tally to three; two silver and a bronze. Kenya had won silver in the mixed 2x2x400m and bronze in the mixed shuttle hurdles on Saturday.

The men’s 4x200m was the final event for Kenya at the championships and the quartet of Mark Otieno, Mike Mokamba, Elijah Mathew and Ochieng produced a performance that proved a marked improvement from the previous edition in Yokohama where Kenya had placed fourth.

Portugal settled for bronze as Ecuador placed fourth while Denmark did not finish the race as hosts Poland were disqualified.

“It is really a great feeling having a silver medal since we did our best against all the odds. Our hope was to improve on our 2019 performance and we thank God we made it,” Otieno, the national 100m record holder, said.

Earlier, Kenya finished fifth in the corresponding women’s race as Joan Cherono, Doreen Waka, Monica Safania and Maximilla Imali clocked a new national record of 1:38.26. The race was won by Poland while Ireland and Ecuador placed second and third respectively.

Despite failing to shine in the men’s and women’s 4x400m as well as mixed 4x400m, Kenya recorded an improvement from the 2019 championships where she bagged a bronze medal in the mixed 4x400m.