Leonard Chemutai looks to beat steeplechase odds

But on Monday, he made his Olympic debut in style by securing a second place in Heat 1 of the water-jump race inside the Stade de France for an automatic qualification to tonight’s final.

“The race was a bit difficult, I run well. Yes, I am happy because I came as number two because it was not easy,” Chemutai said in the mixed zone after posting a season best time of eight minutes and 18.19 seconds.

Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali won the Heat comfortably in a time of 8:17.90. “The weather was very hot. It is not like ours in Kapchorwa,” Chemutai said.

Chemutai is through to a steeplechase final at a major championship for a second straight year. Last August, Chemutai finished a distant 12th but El Bakkali won the gold medal during the Budapest World Athletics Championships in Hungary.

The 21-year-old arrived in the French capital on the back of gold medal triumph at the Africa Senior Athletics Championships in Douala, Cameroon back in June.

But Chemutai, who returned to finish fourth over the seven-and-a-half-lap final at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia, wants to do more in Paris.

“I have qualified for the first time in Olympics. When the final race comes, I will be ready,” he stated.

Chemutai’s personal best is 8:17.14 and in the field of 16 men chasing the gold medal in Wednesday's final event on track, it is the slowest.

Yet, after picking experience in Budapest and winning in Douala, Chemutai wants to beat the odds. “I want to make my country proud. I can try, but for me a medal is possible, as long as I just endure.”

Chemutai is encouraged by his senior training partner Joshua Cheptegei, who won the 10000m gold medal on Friday. “He told me to just focus and everything will be possible as long as I endure,” added Chemutai.

Chemutai will become the country’s best male steeplechaser in Olympic history should he make the top eight places.

The genuine battle for gold will be between El Bakkali, Ethiopians in world record holder Lamecha Girma and Getnet Wale as well as Kenya’s Amos Serem and Abraham Kibiwot.

PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS - SELECTED RESULT

MEN’S 3000M STEEPLECHASE HEAT 1

1 Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR)            8:17.90

2 Leonard Chemutai (UGA)               8:18.19

3 Getnet Wale (ETH)                          8:18.25

TEAM UGANDA SCHEDULE

WEDNESDAY, AUG 6 - DAY 14

12:10pm: Oscar Chelimo (Athletics - Men’s 5000m Heats)

12:55pm: Tom Dradriga (Athletics - Men’s 800m Heats)

1.45pm: Winnie Nanyondo (Athletics - Women’s 1500m Repechage Round)

9.02pm: Men’s 200m Semi-Final

10.43pm: Men’s 3000m Steeplechase Final

THURSDAY, AUG 8 - DAY 16

1pm: Men’s 800m Repechage

8.35pm: Women’s 1500m Semi-finals

9.30pm: Men’s 200m Final

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)