4 memorable sporting moments for Kenya in 2021 [Pulse Picks 2021]

Here's a look at the most notable sports moments from 2021:

World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally

In June, WRC returned to Kenya for the first time since 2002. The Safari of old evolved to fit the modern-day WRC, but its character remained with challenging closed dirt roads, stunning picture-postcard scenery and exotic wildlife.

Competitors experienced rocky and rutted tracks and unpredictable weather which transformed dry and dusty trails into glutinous mudbaths.

The enthusiasm for – and love of – rallying from Kenyans was intoxicating and the 19-year absence has certainly worked wonders for the heart.

Sébastien Ogier won the Safari Rally to extend his championship lead. Ogier eventually won his eighth world rally championship in nine years.

Safari Rally Kenya was an absolute spectacle and a sight to behold. It was, in short, worth the wait, bring on 2022.

Excited Kenyans cheering Safari Rally drivers Pulse Live Kenya

Brazilian marathoner Daniel Do Nascimento's fist bump with legend Eliud Kipchoge

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Pictures of Brazilian Daniel Do Nascimento fist-pumping marathon legend, Eliud Kipchoge captured the hearts and imaginations of the athletics world, as the two athletes found a moment for a laugh amid the toil.

Do Nascimento, competing in just his second marathon on Olympic debut, shared a moment with the man who just over an hour later would clinch back-to-back Olympic marathon gold.

“Sports is all about respecting each other. I was just talking to him and telling him to follow the green line because it is the shortest distance to the finish line.

"At first, he thought that maybe I was telling him something else. But when he heard that I was directing him, he was very excited and extremely happy,” Kipchoge disclosed after the race

“For me, sport is all about respecting each other. If you don’t speak to your competitors, then your mind is not working at all.

When you engage your competitors, your mind is free and when you see what happens to people’s faces when you talk to them, you are in a good position to compete,” added the greatest Marathoner of all time.

Brazilian marathoner Daniel Do Nascimento's fist bump with legend Eliud Kipchoge during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Pulse Live Kenya

Kenya Women Beach Volleyball team qualifies for Olympic Games for the first time

On June 28, the Kenyan Women Beach Volleyball team secured a place in the Tokyo Olympic Games after winning the Africa Continental Cup-cum-Olympic qualifiers in Agadir, Morocco.

The win made Kenya’s Olympic dream come true after they dismissed Nigerian teams in tension but action-packed final.

Three back to back losses to Brazil, USA and Latvia meant Kenya finished at the bottom of Pool D, putting an end to their historic adventure

Kenya's Brackcides Khadambi (L), USA's Sarah Sponcil (back C) and USA's Kelly Claes (R) watch as Kenya's Gaudencia Makokha dives for the ball in their women's preliminary beach volleyball pool D match between the USA and Kenya during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Shiokaze Park in Tokyo on July 29, 2021. (Photo by Yuri CORTEZ / AFP) (Photo by YURI CORTEZ/AFP via Getty Images) Pulse Live Kenya

Team Kenya outfit stands out in Olympics opening ceremony

After being postponed for more than a year, the Tokyo Olympics officially opened on July 23. The opening ceremony as is tradition was full of glamour in which the Kenyan Olympic team was part of.

Team Kenya was led by its overall Captain Eunice Sum and his deputy and Shujaa captain Andrew Amonde.

Kenya’s team of more than 40 athletes had one of the most colourful uniforms for the opening ceremony. The team’s female athletes wore Maasai print dresses under a red-caped bolero jacket and the male athletes wore matching shirts with black trousers.

Members of Kenya's delegation parade during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, at the Olympic Stadium, in Tokyo, on July 23, 2021. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP) (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP via Getty Images) Pulse Live Kenya