Winfred Yavi clinched the gold medal in the women’s 3000m steeplechase at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Tuesday, August 6, representing Bahrain.
The 24-year-old, who hails from Ukia, Makueni County, set a new Olympic record with a time of 8:52.76, surpassing the previous mark set when the event was introduced for women in 2008.
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At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Yavi denied Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai a second consecutive gold and forced Kenya’s Faith Cherotich to settle for bronze.
In a post-race interview with Mungai Eve, Yavi discussed why she competed for Bahrain rather than Kenya despite her love for her home country.
The Kenyan-born athlete explained that Bahrain offered her an opportunity after she participated in Kenya’s qualification trials but failed to secure a spot on multiple occasions.
“I used to go to the Kenya team trials, and I didn’t qualify… It was my first priority; I was ready to represent my country,” She revealed.
“The reason I didn’t get the chance to represent Kenya is that I participated in the Kenyan team trials but didn’t qualify. Bahrain offered me the opportunity as a top priority, but I was ready and willing to represent my country,” the Olympic Gold Medalist said.
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Yavi highlighted the intense competition among Kenyan athletes, which made it difficult to secure a place on the team.
“The competition was fierce. In Kenya, we have so many athletes, and making the Kenyan athletics team is challenging. They only select a few, so if you finish in third or fourth place, you miss out,” Winfred Yavi noted.
Despite her dedication and hard work, Yavi said she never had the opportunity to represent Kenya. She recalled missing out on the Kenyan youth team in 2016 when she finished third, as only two athletes were selected.
“I had worked hard and trained thoroughly, but I missed out. That’s how Bahrain offered me a chance, and I seized it. It became my top priority,” she explained.
Yavi also mentioned that she drew inspiration from senior professional athletes and teammates who were advancing in their careers.
“What helped me greatly was working hard behind the scenes. I started performing well, and that dedication led me to win this medal and become a world champion,” she said.
Yavi said that before deciding to switch to Bahrain, she did a lot of trials to get a chance at the Kenyan national team, but she never made it as there was stiff competition.
This decision, however, received mixed reactions from her close friends, acquaintances, and fellow athletes who had faced similar choices.
She admitted to facing numerous challenges and negative responses from many people.
“People questioned my decision; some were worried about whether I could fulfil my dreams and deliver on the track. It was challenging because everyone had different opinions,” she said.
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“At that time, I wasn’t very strong and was only beginning to catch up with the training. I wasn’t yet a professional, but I managed to handle the situation,” she added.
Yavi also revealed that she was connected by a Kenyan in the sports sector to go and represent Bahrain.
“My parents also agreed, and the coach also agreed and took me there,” she said.
The 24-year-old athlete confirmed that, apart from representing Bahrain in athletics, she also has a nationality for the Asian country.
She, however, noted that the decision to change nationality brought a lot of negativity, especially from friends.
“It brought a lot of negativity. I was being asked how sure I was that I would go and run well. It was complicated. Everyone was coming up with different things to tell me,” she said.
“Others said I should not go there; I would get hurt. My parents came, and we talked. We sat down with the coach and other people. We came up with one decision, and we agreed,” she said.
Yavi said that despite having Bahraini nationality, she is often in Kenya as there is good weather for training.
