Chemutai, Dradriga light up Douala

Youngster Leonard Chemutai has big ambitions. He is hoping for a place in the final of the men’s 3000m steeplechase final and thereafter give his all during the Paris Olympics this August.

And yet, Chemutai is only qualified for Paris by virtue of world ranking and not having beaten the qualifying standard of eight minutes and 15 seconds.

But on Sunday, the 21-year-old raised his stake after he powered to the gold medal over the water-jump race final during the Africa Senior Athletics Championships in Douala, Cameroon.

Chemutai rocked the visibly empty Stade de Japoma by beating the field of eight men to win the seven-and-a-half-lap race over the barriers in a time of 8:21.30.

“What helped me to win the race is I trained hard and endured,” Chemutai said via phone from Douala yesterday. “And I was also confident because my body had no injuries,” the youngster said.

“I am extremely happy, he’s doing a great job and growing well,” his manager Monica Pont Chafer told this paper.

Chemutai, who is not related in any way to reigning female 3000m steeplechase Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai, broke out in 2021 during the World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya.

At the same championship the following year in Cali, Colombia, Chemutai improved to finish fourth. 

Last June, he won the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Innsbruck-Stubai, Austria. Later in August, he made his debut at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, finishing 12th in the final.

By winning gold in Douala, he became the only second Ugandan steeplechaser in history to medal at this championship - after the late Benjamin Kiplagat who won bronze in Porto Novo, Benin 12 years ago.

Chemutai is ranked 27th globally and he is expected to complete the Olympic qualifying window, which closes on June 30, in a higher place.

That inevitably means he will become the fourth male steeplechaser at the Olympics after Kiplagat, Jacob Araptany and Abel Chemutai.

Meanwhile, Tom Dradriga, who missed the podium by a place during the African Games in Accra, Ghana back in March, this time powered to 800m bronze in 1:46.01 behind Kenya’s Alex Kipngetich and Kethobogile Hainguira of Botswana.

Dradriga is ranked 50th in the world and while he hasn’t hit the Olympic standard of 1:44.70, the 28-year-old will rise higher in grade, also confirming a slot in Paris.

Sprinter Haron Adoli was however disappointed with a fifth place finish in the men’s 400m final, which was won by Senegalese Cheikh Diouf. “Not bad, a good experience though I expected more,” said the Kenya-based runner who posted 45.93 seconds over the lap.

Uganda’s medal tally in Douala is already higher than that from the 2022 edition when only Rachael Zena Chebet medaled with 10000m silver on the final day in Saint Pierre, Mauritius.

2024 AFRICA SENIOR ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

SELECTED RESULTS

WOMEN’S 5000M FINAL

1 Fentaye Belayneh (ETH)     15:30.10

2 Wubrist Chekol (ETH)         15:30.25

3 Samia Hassan (DJI)                         15:42.63

5 Esther Chebet (UGA)          16:01.75

MEN’S LONG JUMP QUALIFIER (B)

1 Goodness Iredia (NGR)      7.70m

2 Romeo N’Tia (BEN)            7.63m

7 Charles Okello (UGA)         7.19m

WOMEN’S 400M FINAL

1 Miranda Coetzee (RSA)      51.16

2 Qincy Malekani (ZAM)       51.56

3 Elo Joseph (NGR)                51.94

7 Shida Leni (UGA)               53.50

MEN’S 400M FINAL

1 Cheikh Diouf (SEN)            45.23

2 Lee Eppie (BOT)                 45.39

3 Samuel Ogazi (NGR)           45.47

5 Haron Adoli (UGA)            45.93

WOMEN’S 800M FINAL

1 Sarah Moraa (KEN)             2:00.27

2 Lilian Odira (KEN)              2:00.36

3 Soukaina Hajji (MAR)         2:00.91

7 Susan Aneno (UGA)           2:02.54

MEN’S 800M FINAL

1 Alex Kipngetich (KEN)       1:45.02

2 Kethobogile Hainguira (BOT) 1:45.54

3 Tom Dradriga (UGA) 1:46.01

MEN’S 3000M STEEPLECHASE FINAL

1 Leonard Chemutai (UGA)   8:21.30

2 Edmond Serem (KEN)        8:21.94

3 Mathew Kosgei (KEN)        8:21.98

8 Elphas Toroitich (UGA)      8:43.91

CAST OF UGANDA’S MEDALS AT AFRICA SENIORS 

2024 Douala: Leonard Chemutai (3000m steeplechase Gold), Tom Dradriga (800m Bronze)

2022 Saint Pierre: Rachael Zena Chebet (10000m Silver)

2018 Asaba: Timothy Toroitich (10000m bronze), Ronald Musagala (1500m Bronze), Josephine Lalam (Javelin Bronze)

2012 Porto Novo: Benjamin Kiplagat (Steeplechase Bronze), Sarah Nambawa (Triple jump gold)

2010 Nairobi: Moses Kipsiro (10000m silver), Sarah Nambawa (Triple jump gold) 

2006 Bambous: Moses Kipsiro (5000m bronze, 10000m gold)

2002 Rades/Tunis: Dorcus Inzikuru (5000m silver)

1998 Dakar: Davis Kamoga (400m silver)