Kenya, with 5 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze medals mostly from the long distance races, has emerged Africa’s best team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which rounded off with an impressive closing ceremony here Sunday.
But the medal haul was only enough to place Kenya in 15th place among the nations which made the medals table at the games.
Kenya won its gold medals in the men’s 3000m steeplechase, 800m and marathon as well as women’s 1,500m and 800m.
Ethiopia, also cashing in on the long distance events, was second in Africa with 4 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals, followed by Zimbabwe with 1 gold and 3 silver.
Here is the full list of the African nations that made the medals table at the games, won by host China (51 gold, 21 silver and 28 bronze).
| Country | gold | silver | bronze |
| Kenya | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Ethiopia | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Zimbabwe | 1 | 3 | – |
| Cameroon | 1 | – | – |
| Tunesia | 1 | – | – |
| Nigeria | – | 1 | 2 |
| Algeria | – | 1 | 1 |
| Morocco | – | 1 | 1 |
| S Africa | – | 1 | – |
| Sudan | – | 1 | – |
| Egypt | – | – | 1 |
| Mauritius | – | – | 1 |
| Togo | – | – | 1 |
