Prime
No pressure for Orogot
Orogot takes on the turn.
What you need to know:
He has competed over two 200m races on the Wanda Diamond League (DL) circuit over the past 10 days.
Sprinter Tarsis Orogot feels absolutely no elements of pressure before his debut at the Olympics Games.
The University of Alabama student from the USA is into his third week in Europe as he fine-tunes for the Paris Games whose opening ceremony comes on July 26.
He has competed over two 200m races on the Wanda Diamond League (DL) circuit over the past 10 days.
His latest performance was a third-place finish during the Herculis Meeting in Monaco, a French Principality on Friday night.
And Orogot posted 20.32 seconds in third place via lane 7 at the Stade Louis II. But despite posting his slowest time over nine 200m outdoor races this year, Orogot is not phased.
“The race went well,” he told this paper at the weekend. “These are just build-up races,” added the 21-year-old.
Five days prior, Orogot had posted 20.18 seconds in second place behind Alexander Ogando during the Meeting Paris at the Stade Charléty.
In Monaco, Orogot came behind Ogando and Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo who won in 19.87 seconds.
Orogot will be Uganda’s only sprinter in the 21-man athletics contingent set to grace the Stade de France and Paris streets for track and field competitions.
He this year broke his own 200m national record (NR) to 19.75, also making him the fifth fastest man in the world over 2024.
No male sprinter from Uganda has competed at the Olympics since Davis Kamoga won a 400m bronze medal during the Atlanta 1996 Games in the USA.
Specifically the 200m event, Orogot is the first Ugandan to feature in 32 years, since Francis Ogola featured at the Barcelona 1992 Games in Spain.
MONACO DIAMOND LEAGUE
MEN’S 200M RESULT
1 Letsile Tebogo (BOT) 19.87
2 Alexander Ogando (DOM) 20.02
3 Tarsis Gracious Orogot (UGA) 20.32
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)
OROGOT OVER 200M IN 2024
Apr 12: Tom Jones Memorial (19.90, 1st)
May 9: SEC Track & Field Champs (20.18, 1st)
May 11: SEC Track & Field Champs (19.75, 1st)
May 22: NCAA Div I East First Rounds (20.12, 1st)
May 24: NCAA Div I East First Rounds (20.00, 2nd)
Jun 5: NCAA Div I Outdoor Champs (20.09, 1st)
Jun 7: NCAA Div I Outdoor Champs (20.14, 4th)
Jul 7: Meeting de Paris (20.18, 2nd)
Jul 12: Herculis Meeting (20.32, 3rd)
