Ex-marathon record holder Kosgei trades Kenya for Turkey at Olympics

Kosgei, a silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, said fellow runner Ronald Kwemoi, a silver medalist at the Paris Games, will also switch to Turkey along with three others.

"Yes, it's true, I changed my nationality to Turkish," she told AFP, happily.

"It was my decision, and I'm happy to compete under the Turkish flag in Los Angeles once the allegiance process is complete," she said.

AFP was unable to reach Kwemoi for confirmation of his switch.

The Olympic Charter requires an athlete to wait three years after last competing for one country before switching to another.

Kosgei, 31, has won numerous marathons including London, Chicago, Madrid, and Tokyo, and held the world record from October 2019 to September 2023 with a time of 2:14:04 (in a mixed-gender race).

The process of obtaining Turkish citizenship began in 2024, she said.

"It is a personal decision and these runners have chosen and have been accepted by Turkey. It's a free world provided they follow the regulations," Barnaba Korir, a member of the Kenyan Athletics Federation's executive committee, told AFP.

"We have very 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 others to switch flag are the less well established trio of Catherine Amanang'ole, Brian Kibor and Nelvin Jepkemboi.

Several top Kenyan athletes have in the past chosen to run for other countries.

Bernard Lagat, a bronze medalist at the Sydney Olympics and then a silver medalist at the Athens Games for Kenya, later represented the United States.

He became a double world champion (1500m and 5000m) in 2007 for the US.

Another Kenyan Saif Saaeed Shaheen was world champion in the 3000m steeplechase in 2003 and 2005 for Qatar.

At the last World Championships in Tokyo, Kenya finished second overall behind the United States with 11 medals, including seven golds, thanks to its long-distance runners.