Kimani gives Kenya the first athletics gold of Rio 2016
Samwel Mushai Kimani won the men’s 5000m T11 after a decisive last-lap contest with Brazil’s Odair Santos.
Kenya’s Samwel Mushai Kimani won the first Para athletics gold medal of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, taking the men’s 5000m T11 on 8 September. The IPC reported a personal-best time of 15:16.11 after he pulled clear of Brazil’s Odair Santos on the final straight.
Two Kenyan athletes reach the podium
Santos finished second in 15:17.55, while Kenya also collected bronze in 15:22.96. Kimani’s victory followed his London 2012 success in the 1500m T11, where he had also finished ahead of the Brazilian.
The Kenyan told the IPC that the medal carried meaning for himself, his country and his family. African field-event success accompanied the track breakthrough: Algeria’s Lahouari Bahlaz won silver in the men’s shot put F32 with 9.40m. The opening athletics session therefore brought medals to African athletes in both distance running and throwing, establishing an early presence on the Rio podium.