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It was teary scenes after Ugandan runners Halimah Nakaayi and Winnie Nanyondo missed out on progressing to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics women’s 800m final on Saturday.
Nakaayi and Nanyondo finished 8th and 5th in 2:04:44 and 1:59:84 respectively and the latter couldn’t hold back her tears as she sobbed her way out of the event.
Images of the scenes were captured by New York Times’ reporter Tariq Panja. To several bookmakers, Nakaayi was an obvious inclusion among the title contenders, ranked 3rd in the world, but her woes left many questions than answers.
According to her coach Addy Ruiter, also Joshua Cheptegei’s coach via Daily Monitor, “Halimah was a big disappointment. She was complaining about pain in her waist that was going down into her left leg.”
Her physiological challenges were a huge factor in her last place finish in semifinal 1. According to Mayfield Clinic, “shooting pain that begins in the lower back, radiates into the buttock and down the back of one leg,” is often diagnosed as “Sciatica”.
“The pain is often caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve from a herniated disc, bone spurs or muscle strain,” further reads the article on their website.
The result meant Nakaayi’s final show at the Tokyo games while Nanyondo continued her pursuit for glory in the women’s 1500m. Fortunately, she managed to secure a spot in the semifinals slated for Wednesday.
Winnie Nanyondo put the 800m heartbreak two days ago behind her to secure a berth in the semifinals of the Women’s 1500m at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Nanyondo came second in Heat 3 on Monday morning, clocking 4:02:24 behind 2016 Gold medalist Faith Kipyegon of Kenya who was the fastest across the three heats, posting a time of 4:01:40.
In the same heat, Japan’s Tanaka Zonomi who finished fourth also qualified for the semifinals, setting a new national record of 4:02:33. Finland’s Kuivisto Sara who raced in Heat 1 also set a new national record posting a time of 4:04:12.
The biggest highlight, however, was witnessed in Heat 2 when Hassan Sifan of the Netherlands recovered after falling in the final lap to come first.
The semifinals are slated for Wednesday.
Ugandan female middle-distance runner Peruth Chemutai has progressed to the final of the women’s 3000m Steeplechase at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on Sunday.
Chemutai crossed the finish line second in heat 1, clocking a season best time of 9:12.72 while Bahrain’s Yavi Winfred Mutile emerged winner in 9:10:80 at the Olympic Stadium.
The fifth place finisher at the 2019 Doha World Championships led the race and her display attracted praise for her “hurling technique at the water jump.”
She relinquished her position towards the end after re-kindling memories Dorcus Inzikuru at the 2005 Helsinki World Championships when the latter ended Uganda’s 33-year wait for an athletics world title.
In the final, Chemutai will have to upstage Beatrice Chepkoech from Kenya, the 2019 world champion who broke the world record in 2018 with 8:44.32 in Monaco.
Also contending will be another Kenyan and favourite Hyvin Kiyeng, the 2015 world champion and a silver medallist in Rio five years ago, as well as American Courtney Frerichs.
When to watch Peruth Chemutai race again at the Tokyo Olympics;
Women’s 3000m Steeplechase Final
Date and Time: Wed 4 Aug. (2:00pm EAT)
Venue: Olympic Stadium
Apart from the joy of Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo’s silver and bronze for Uganda in the Tokyo Olympics 10,000m final, it’s been a tough outing elsewhere.
Halimah Nakaayi and Winnie Nanyondo failed to progress to the 800m final after finishing 8th and 5th in 2:04:44 and 1:59:84 respectively on Saturday.
Nakaayi also 2019 Doha World champion was primed to make the final but unfortunately struggled in the last lap in semifinal 1, Jamaican Goule Natoya and Brit Reekie Jemma progressing.
Nanyondo equally drew so close to making it for the final but stumbled in the final bend, only setting a season best 1:59:84 in fifth position, also missing out on a finals slot.
The Ugandan duo were supposed to make the first 2 in their respective semifinals or finish among the next 2 fastest overall to advance to the final.
On Friday, Prisca Chesang, Chelangat Sarah and Chebet Esther failed to make it to the women’s 5000m final after finishing 15th (15:25:72), 19th (15:59:40) in heat 1 and 12th (15:11:47 SB) in heat 2 respectively.
The trio were debuting in the competition and needed to finish among first 5 in their respective heats or be among the next 5 fastest overall advance.
Ugandan swimmer Kirabo Namutebi was 1:27 behind 19-year-old Ecuadorian winner Delgado Anicka in the women’s 50m freestyle with 26:63, missing progression to the final.
She was 7th in heat 6 and 47th out of 81 swimmers. The best 16 athletes set up semifinals before Australian McKeon Emma won Gold while Sjoestroem Sarah took silver on Sunday.
After winning silver in the 10000m at the Tokyo Olympics on Friday, Joshua Cheptegei is not resting on his laurels.
The 24-year-old has quickly switched focus and is now eyeing the 5000m title which he is dreaming of.
Cheptegei, through his social media, said he is delighted with his performance in the 10000m and grateful for the support he recieved.
“I’m very grateful for today’s silver medal at the Olympic Games 10,000m. I want to thank everyone for supporting me all the way!!,” he said in a tweet.
The 5000m world record holder adds that he is dreaming of the Olympic title over the distance.
“I’m still dreaming for the Olympic title! See you soon for the 5000m on Tuesday!”
The Men’s 5000m heats will be run on Tuesday, 3rd August starting at 2:00pm (East African Time) with the finals set for Friday, 6th August at 3:00pm.
World record holder Joshua Cheptegei and world leader Jacob Kiplimo got Uganda her first medals at the Tokyo Olympics after finishing 2nd and 3rd in the 10,000m final on Friday.
The duo sprinted home in the final 800m to stave off brutal competition from Kenya, Canada despite Ethiopian Selemon Barega claiming gold in the race.
Cheptegei who dominated from the 20th lap after compatriot Stephen Kissa had dropped off often exchanged first place with Kenyan Rodgers Kwemoi until the final two laps.
The race started with Kissa opening up a 10 second lead and by midway of the race, the 25-year-old was still going strong, tiring Barega and Kwemoi who tried to mount a chase.
Kenyan Conseslus Kipruto eventually overtook Kissa – who beat the Tokyo Olympics qualification mark with 27:26.46 in eighth place at the Ethiopian Trials in Hengelo, Netherlands on June – after 16 laps.
Kissa’s role was done, falling fast to bottom before exiting the race for a DNF. With conditions really humid (30 degrees) at the Olympic Stadium, Kipruto could only hold on for four laps, Cheptegei ascending to the lead.
Ethiopian Kejelcha Yomif and Canadian Ahmed Mohammed followed closely in fifth and third place, sandwiching Kiplimo. The race pace upped to 64 seconds with two laps remaining.
Cheptegei regained the lead then but it didn’t last long before Ahmed took over. The scramble came down to the final 1000m that Barega covered in 2:25 – the fastest in a 10,000m Olympics race in history – to win Gold.
Cheptegei and Kiplimo sprinted too side by side, to cross the finish line in a 2 – 3 in 27:43:63 and 27:43:88 respectively. The silver-bronze meant the first time Uganda has won two Olympics medals in an event.
2020 Tokyo Olympics Men’s 10,000m results;
- Selemon Barega (Ethiopia) – 27:43:22
- Joshua Cheptegei (Uganda)- 27:43:63
- Jacob Kiplimo (Uganda) – 27:43:88
- Aregawi Berihu (Ethiopia) – 27:46:16
- Fisher Grant (USA) – 27:46:39
Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo have won Uganda its first medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Cheptegei and Kiplimo completed a 2-3 finish in the Men’s 10000m to win Silver and Bronze respectively as Ethiopian Selemon Barega claimed gold.
World champion Cheptegei ran a season-best 27:43.63 and was just under a second behind Barega who crossed the finish line in 27:43.22.
Meanwhile, Kiplimo clocked 27:43.88.
Stephen Kissa, another Ugandan in the event, set the pace of the race and a platform for his compatriots leading through 6000m before eventually dropping out.
Ugandan middle-distance runner Albert Chemutai has fallen short of qualifying for the Men’s 3000m Steeplechase final at the Tokyo Olympics.
Chemutai finished ninth in the challenging field he faced in Heat 1 of the 3000 meters Steeplechase on Friday. He crossed the finish line in a time of 8:29.81.
The 26-year-old was fourth through the first kilometer but lost pace and fell behind to eighth at the 2000m mark before eventually finishing ninth.
Chemtai’s time means he can not be among the other six fastest across the heats that advance to the finals.
Ethiopian Lamecha Girma won the race in 8:09.83, Ryuji Miura ran a Japan national record of 8:09.92 to come second while Kenyan Benjamin Kigen took the third direct qualification place with his season-best 8:10.80.
World champion Halima Nakaayi and compatriot Winnie Nanyondo have qualified for the Women’s 800m semifinals at the Tokyo Olympics.
Nanyondo qualified directly from Heat 1 in which she finished second in a time of 2:02.02, about a second behind race winner Renelle Lamote of France.
On the other hand, Nakaayi advanced from Heat 2 as one of the next six fastest outside the first three across the six heats.
Nakaayi finished fourth in a fast-paced race crossing the finish line in 2:00.92.
The Ugandan duo will take the track again on Saturday, 31st July to compete for a place in the finals of 800m. The semifinals are scheduled to start at 2:50 pm (East African Time).
Names: Halimah Nakaayi
Age: 26
Gender: Female
Place of birth: Mukono
Birth Country: Uganda
Place of residence: Mukono
Residence Country: Uganda
Background: Nakaayi’s family were initially reluctant to allow her to pursue athletics and wanted her to focus on education. She combined sport with studying for a bachelor’s degree, and graduated in 2018. Her family is made up of strong Muslims.
Highlights: Nakaayi became the first Ugandan athlete to win a world championship medal in the 800m, when she claimed gold in 1:58.04 at the 2019 edition in Doha, Qatar. She has also claimed Gold at the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games when she ran 400m in 57.16. At the 2019 African Games in Morocco, she ran 2:03.55, finishing 3rd over 800m. Nakaayi is appearing for these Tokyo Olympics as her second edition after the Rio Games in Brazi that saw her make 17th over 800m in 2:00.63.
2020 Tokyo Olympics Initial Participation pending progress;
Women’s 800m Round 1 – Heat 1-6
Date and Time: Fri 30 July (3:55am – 4:35am EAT)
Venue: Olympic Stadium
Women’s 800m Final
Date and Time: Tue 3 Aug. (3:25 pm EAT)
Venue: Olympic Stadium