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Paris 2024: Injured Oroma could miss 400m race
A hip injury might have ended Oroma's huge ambitions in Paris. PHOTO/ABDUL-NASSER SSEMUGABI
What you need to know:
Oroma said she cannot run with serious pain in the hip.
It seems Paris doesn’t love Peace Oroma. At the 2023 World Para-athletics Championship in Paris, Uganda’s athlete with visual impairment failed to start in the 400m T13 final. Today, she could miss the 400m T13 Heats of the Paris 2024 Paralympics, due to injury.
Oroma said she cannot run with serious pain in the hip. “It’s so unfortunate, I feel so bad and so disappointed but there are certain things I really can’t do. Yesterday (Tuesday), I tried to see whether I shall be able to compete but I failed,” Oroma told Daily Monitor.
“Today (Wednesday) I have tried some small training but I can’t really run. I can’t sprint. The injury is just intensifying. I am going to a polyclinic to see whether they can do something better for me to run, otherwise…”
But even if she hits the track, she may not be in competitive shape.
Oroma finished sixth in the 1500m T13 race on Saturday, far below her expectations, though she recorded a new personal best time of 4:38.60 minutes.
“Even in that race I had the injury, ” she said, adding that she suffered this injury about four weeks ago and even contemplated withdrawing from the trip to Paris but was convinced to soldier on.
“I haven’t been able to go hard in training, because I wanted to make it to the Games and see what I can do.” She virtually can’t do anything.
Oroma’s ordeal may have almost ended Uganda’s already slim hopes for a medal in Paris after two-time Paralympic medalist David Emong finished ninth in the 1500m T46 final on Saturday.
Now of Uganda’s four athletes in Paris only two have a fighting chance. Teenage swimmer Husnah Kukundakwe, who finished seventh in the 100m breaststroke SB8 Heats on Friday, returns to the waters today, aiming for the 50m freestyle S8 final.
And on Saturday, she will aim for the 100m butterfly S8 final. The same day, para-powerlifter Dennis Mbaziira will make his debut in the Men’s Under 88kg at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena.
2024 PARALYMPICS
Schedule – Thursday
Oroma (athletics) Women’s 400m T13 Heats
Kukundakwe (swimming) Women's 50m Freestyle - S8 Heats
Saturday, September 7
Women's 100m Butterfly - S8 Heats
Dennis Mbaziira (Powerlifting): Men’s Under 88kg
