Kenya’s former marathon world record holder Brigid Kosgei said Thursday that she and four other Kenyan athletes will represent Türkiye at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Speaking to Agence France-Presse (AFP), the Tokyo Olympics silver medalist confirmed she has switched her sporting nationality, adding that fellow Kenyan runner Ronald Kwemoi, a silver medalist at the Paris Olympics, is also set to make the move, along with three others.
“Yes, it’s true. I have changed my nationality to Turkish,” Kosgei said. “It was my own decision, and I’m happy to compete under the Turkish flag in Los Angeles once the transfer process is complete.”
AFP was unable to reach Kwemoi to confirm his reported switch.
The Olympic Charter requires athletes to wait three years after last competing for one country before representing another, unless the waiting period is waived by the relevant authorities.
Kosgei, 31, has won several major marathons, including London, Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo. She held the marathon world record from October 2019 to September 2023 with a time of 2:14:04, set in a mixed-gender race.
She said the process of obtaining Turkish citizenship began in 2024.
“It is a personal decision, and these runners have chosen and have been accepted by Türkiye. It’s a free world, provided they follow the regulations,” Barnaba Korir, a member of Athletics Kenya’s executive committee, told AFP.
“We have many runners in Kenya, and we cannot accommodate all of them. Those who seek opportunities to compete for other countries are welcome. After all, they will compete for them and still invest in the country,” he said.
The other athletes switching allegiance are Catherine Amanang’ole, Brian Kibor and Nelvin Jepkemboi.
Several top Kenyan athletes have previously chosen to compete for other countries.
Bernard Lagat won bronze at the Sydney Olympics and silver at the Athens Olympics for Kenya before later representing the United States. He became a double world champion in the 1,500 meters and 5,000 meters in 2007 for the U.S.
Another Kenyan, Saif Saeed Shaheen, won world titles in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 2003 and 2005 while representing Qatar.
At the most recent World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Kenya finished second overall behind the United States with 11 medals, including seven golds, largely driven by its strength in long-distance events.
