Janeth Jepkosgei opens up on major nationality decision that could have changed history

800m trailblazer Janeth Jepkosgei recently opened up on the pivotal moment she nearly switched allegiances to run for Bahrain.

The 40-year-old who made history as the first Kenyan woman to win a world title in the 800m, shared how the frustrations over repeatedly missing out on national team selections led her to consider a move to Bahrain in 2005.

Had she gone through with it, one of Kenya's proudest athletic achievements might have never happened.

Jepkosgei recalled how, despite winning national trials multiple times, she was overlooked for global championships until 2006.

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Disheartened, she explored opportunities elsewhere and even began the process of switching nationalities. At the time, she felt her talent was stifled.

“I won the nationals [trials] almost three times and I was not selected to the team to the World Championships until 2006,” she told NTV’s Spot On.

The idea of competing for Bahrain became serious in 2005 after she was approached by representatives from the Gulf nation. With paperwork and financial support for the transition ready, she returned from a racing stint in Italy and headed straight to Athletics Kenya (AK), where she met the late AK president Isaiah Kiplagat and informed him of her intent to switch countries.

However, Kiplagat, who Jepkosgei described as a fatherly figure, urged her to reconsider, reassuring her that she would make the Kenyan team the following year.

He asked if she would be interested in the Indoor or Commonwealth Games, to which Jepkosgei replied she would prefer the latter since she had no experience with indoor tracks. With that reassurance, her plans to switch allegiance to Bahrain dissolved.

"I understood what he said and agreed to go for the Commonwealth. That was Melbourne 2006 at the peak of my career and everything [going to Bahrain] was forgotten,” she recalled.

Following that, she was selected for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, where she stunned the competition, claiming gold and defeating Mozambique’s formidable Maria Mutola.

“The last 200m, I knew I could kick. When I made the move, Maria also did it and I said okay, here we go,” she offered.

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That victory not only validated her place on Team Kenya but also marked the beginning of her illustrious international career. Her success continued in 2007 at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan, where she once again overcame Mutola, capturing a historic gold for Kenya.

She has since cemented her legacy as one of Kenya's most celebrated 800m athletes. Her last major race may have been at the 2015 World Championships, but she has not entirely stepped away from track. She coaches the World Athletics Refugee Team, keen to extend her legacy.