Rising Lionesses make history with Kenya's first-ever team sport Olympic gold

Kenya’s Rising Lionesses celebrate on the podium with their gold medals after beating Australia in Tuesday’s final. [NOC-K Media]

Just moments into the sudden-death extra time at the Stade Iba Mar Diop in Dakar, Senegal, time seemed to stand still!

Trailing, battling and refusing to succumb to global rugby sevens giants, the Rising Lionesses found themselves locked in a 12-12 nerve-wracking stalemate against tournament favourites Australia in the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games final. Then came the moment and the strike that will be etched in the annals of history forever.

Having already clawed back from a 12-5 second-half deficit through a heroic try from Josephine Kerubo and a Diana Wanjiku conversion, the Kenyan youngsters seized their moment in extra time. With a laser focus on the ultimate prize, they moved the ball with lethal precision, tearing through the Australian defence to score the gold-winning sudden-death try.

With the game having hit fever pitch and both sides playing under immense pressure after an intense battle in regulation time, the Kenyans showed more hunger and refused to relent.

Rising Lionesses showed their power against Australia in the rugby final on Tuesday. [NOC-K media]

Knowing too well that they were in a fight of their lives and victory was within reach, they fought gallantly, with Mitchelle Chemtai mastering courage to surge forward as she shoved Australian defenders out of the way to score the tournament-winning golden point in the end zone for a 17-12 victory.

Chemtai’s try would see the Kenyan contingent burst into celebration, for it was not just a win in a final but the moment Kenya captured its first-ever Olympic gold medal in a team sport.

Speaking after their historic win, Rising Lionesses captain Zain Mohamed said that after recovering to force a sudden-death, they resolved to do everything within their power to secure gold.

"The game was tough but we were able to level the score at half-time. We relaxed in the second half and allowed them to take the lead but we refused to give up, fought hard and equalised. In sudden death, we decided that we would fight tooth and nail and no matter what happens we would not settle for anything less than gold because that was our target even during the training camp,” Mohamed said.

Rising Lionesses celebrate a try against Australia in the rugby final against Australia on Tuesday. [NOC-K media]

Coach Knight Otuoma said that their victory was an outcome of good preparations and a testament to the bright future of Kenyan rugby.

“It has been a tough tournament but we had prepared well and I just told the girls to go in and have fun. The victory means that we have depth and the future of Kenyan rugby is very bright,” Otuoma said.

She added that in their first match against Australia, she had made four changes as she rested four key players, a tactical move in preparation for the semi-finals.

The journey to the top of the world was a masterclass in resilience. They opened their campaign with a 12-5 win over China and a dominant 19-0 win over their hosts, Senegal.

Kenya then suffered a 17-5 defeat to Australia to finish second in Group A and book a date with Group B winners Madagascar.

They then dispatched Madagascar 15-5 in the semi-finals to secure a final duel with Australia, who had dismissed Czechia 19-10 in the other last four encounter. The team, comprising students who have dominated their East African peers since the inclusion of rugby in the regional games, then proved their elite mental fortitude by overpowering Australia to seal the championship.

And as the Kenyan national anthem took over the airwaves in the Senegalese stadium, it signified a milestone not just for Kenya but for the entire African continent, asserting its place in world rugby. Madagascar completed the podium after beating Czechia in the third-place play-offs to secure bronze.

The significance of the Rising Lionesses' gold medal extends far beyond the medal table, for they have shattered barriers that have suffocated women’s sports in Kenya and Africa on the biggest and most prestigious stage of youth sports competitions.

They have rewritten the narrative of Kenyan sports, whose only identity globally was tethered to the athletics track. While athletics dominance and legacy built by Kenyan running heroes remain a point of national pride, the Rising Lionesses Olympic gold signals a fundamental shift in the country’s sports.

Triumphing in a sport historically dominated by Western and Oceanic nations, the Kenyan youngsters proved to the world that Kenya’s athletic prowess is not confined to the track and gruelling marathon courses, but that they can thrive in any sport.

[e-mail]