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Chemutai off to a flying start in Paris
Chemutai (foreground) qualified fastest. PHOTOS/REUTERS
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The sight of Chemutai’s dominance in Paris was reminiscent of her Heat 2 victory during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in Japan three years ago.
Reigning Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai’s plans of retaining the women’s 3000m steeplechase are in great stead after she produced a perfect start at the Paris Olympics yesterday.
Chemutai enjoyed a wow from the Stade de France in the first track event of the Sunday morning session after she breezed through the water-jump race in a time of nine minutes and 10.51 seconds.
Easy run for Chemutai
“Actually, I feel good because the crowd was cheering,” Chemutai said in the mixed zone. “I loved the track because everyone was cheering for me. I am looking forward to the finals.”
The 25-year-old was so comfortable through her race, controlling the lead from gun to tape. Her time turned out to be the fastest across all three Heats of the event.
Kenya’s Faith Cherotich came second in a time of 9:10.57 while Germany’s Gesa Felicitas Krause was third in 9:10.68, completing three of the five automatic qualifiers.
The sight of Chemutai’s dominance in Paris was reminiscent of her Heat 2 victory during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in Japan three years ago.
She had been the second fastest and returned days later to win the Olympic title in the empty Tokyo Stadium. Chemutai, who is the fastest this year over the distance with 8:55.09, returns to compete in the final Tuesday night.
Chemutai (L) peels away.
Nakaayi blow
Meanwhile, world number Halimah Nakaayi is still in shock after finishing a distant sixth in the women’s 800m repechage Heat 2 on Saturday.
Nakaayi led through 400m in 59.2 seconds but suffered a terrible blow, posting 2:02.88 after Australian Abbey Caldwell had posted 2:00.07 to win and take the only slot available to last evening’s semi final Heats.
The blow is heavy on 2019 world champion Nakaayi, who despite breaking her own national record four times to 1:57.26 in the last 13 months, has failed to make the 800m final on three straight Olympics’ attempts.
Orogot, Chemutai debuts
Two Ugandans will be in action on Monday with both sprinter Tarsis Orogot and 3000m steeplechase runner Leonard Chemutai making Olympic debuts.
Both Orogot and Chemutai are graduates from the World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya three years ago.
Orogot has matured quicker since moving to the University of Alabama in the USA on a four-year scholarship after finishing fourth in the 200m final in Nairobi.
He will make his bow in the men’s Heat 2 this evening. During the NCAA collegiate races at Alabama, Orogot posted the fifth fastest time of the year - 19.75 seconds. “Preparations have been going well,” Orogot said in a brief chat at the weekend.
And after appearing in the semi-finals of the Oregon 2022 and Budapest 2023 World Championships in the USA and Hungary, he desires a lane in Thursday night’s final.
In his Heat, Orogot will face Jamaica’s Andrew Hudson, Nigerian Udodi Onwuzurike and Bahamas’ Wanya McCoy in the quest for the top three automatic qualifiers to Wednesday evening’s semifinal.
Leonard meanwhile is the fourth male Ugandan steeplechaser at the Olympics after the late Benjamin Kiplagat, Jacob Araptany and Albert Chemutai.
He will be encouraged by winning the title during the Africa Senior Athletics Championships at the Stade de Japoma in Douala, Cameroon six weeks ago.
Leonard lines-up in Heat 1 which includes reigning Olympic champion Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali, in-form Kenyan Amos Serem and Ethiopian Getnet Wale. The first five per Heat advance to Wednesday’s final.
PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS - TEAM UGANDA RESULTS
ATHLETICS: WOMEN’S 800M REPECHAGE HEAT 2
1 Abbey Caldwell (AUS) 2:00.07
2 Eloisa Coiro (ITA) 2:00.31
3 Audrey Werro (SUI) 2:00.62
6 Halimah Nakaayi (UGA) 2:02.88
WOMEN’S 3000M STEEPLECHASE HEAT 1
1 Peruth Chemutai (UGA) 9:10.51
2 Faith Cherotich (KEN) 9:10.57
3 Gesa Felicitas Krause (GER) 9:10.68
TEAM UGANDA SCHEDULE
MONDAY, AUG 5 - DAY 13
8.04pm: Leonard Chemutai (Men’s 3000m Steeplechase Heat 1)
9.02pm: Tarsis Orogot (Men’s 200m Heat 2)
TUESDAY, AUG 6 - DAY 14
11.05am: Winnie Nanyondo (Women’s 1500m Heats)
1.30pm: Men’s 200m Repechage Round
10.14pm: Peruth Chemutai (Women’s 3000m Steeplechase Final)
WEDNESDAY, AUG 7 - DAY 15
12:10pm: Joshua Cheptegei, Jacob Kiplimo, Oscar Chelimo (Athletics - Men’s 5000m Heats)
12:55pm: Tom Dradriga (Athletics - Men’s 800m Heats)
1.45pm: Women’s 1500m Repechage Round
9.02pm: Men’s 200m Semi-Final
10.43pm: Men’s 3000m Steeplechase Final
UGANDAN 200M MALE SPRINTERS AT OLYMPICS
Melbourne 1956: Benjamin Nguda (7th - Preliminary Heats, 22.89)
Rome 1960: Sam Amukun (4th - Quarterfinal Heat, 21.30)
Tokyo 1964: Sam Amukun (5th - Prelim Heats, 21.50), Aggrey Awori (7th - Prelim Heats, 22.20)
Mexico City 1968: William Dralu (6th - Prelim Heats, 21:38)
Munich 1972: William Dralu (6th - Prelim Heats, 21:87)
Los Angeles 1984: John Goville (7th - Quarterfinal Heat, 21.55)
Seoul 1988: Sunday Olweny (Rank 47th - Prelim Heats, 21.79)
Barcelona 1992: Francis Ogola (8th - Quarterfinal Heat, 21.41)
UGANDAN 3000M ST. MALE RUNNERS AT OLYMPICS
Beijing 2008: Benjamin Kiplagat (9th - Final, 8:20.27)
London 2012: Jacob Araptany (7th - Heat 2, 8:35.85), Benjamin Kiplagat (DQ - Final, DQ)
Rio 2016: Benjamin Kiplagat (6th - Heat 1, 8:30.76), Jacob Araptany (DNF - Final)
Tokyo 2020: Albert Chemutai (9th - Heat 1, 8:29.81)
