The races Uganda has qualified in for Olympics
MEN
• Marathon (3 places)
• 10,000m 2
• 5,000m 3
• 3,000M ST 2
• 1,500m 1
WOMEN
• Marathon 2
• 10,000m 2
• 5,000M 2
• 3,000M ST 1
• 1,500m 2
• 800M 2
• 400m 1
SUNDAY RESULTS: NN Mission Marathon top 10
1. Kipchoge, Eliud (KEN) 02:04:30
2. Korir, Jonathan (KEN) 02:06:40
3. Kifle, Goitom (ERI) 02:08:07
4. Kacheran, Philemon 02:08:47
5. Kiprotich, Stephen (UGA) 02:09:04
6. Kusuro, Geoffrey (UGA) –02:09:53
7. Sang, Mathew (KEN) 02:09:54
8. Chemonges, Filex (UGA) 02:09:59
9. Tewelde, Hiskel (ERI) 02:10:07
10. Chabowski, Marcin (POL) 02:10:17
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT, URN & XINHUA | Former Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich’s strong performance at the NN Mission Marathon in Enschede, Netherlands at the weekend has given the Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) a team selection headache.
The Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) technical committee will now meet next week in Kampala to pick three marathon athletes to represent the country at the Tokyo Olympic Games to be held in Japan from July 23-Aug. 8.
The long marathon qualification period, that started in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, has seen seven Ugandans qualify before the deadline that was pushed to May 31, 2021.
Kiprotich made claim to a place among the contenders by beating previous top contenders Filex Chemonges and Geoffrey Kusuro in Enschede on Sunday.
“We will meet next week to determine which three athletes will represent Uganda in the marathon,” Dominic Otuchet, president of the Uganda Athletics Federation told The Independent in an interview.
Otuchet added that, “We have seven qualifiers, with the best times coming back in 2019 from national record holder Felix Chemonges 2:05:12, then Fred Musobo 2:06:56 and Solomon Mutai 2:08:25. However according to current form, top is Musobo with 2:08:24 from the recent Siena, Italy marathon, then Kiprotich 2:09:04 and Geoffrey Kusuro 02:09:53.”
Others in contention are Jackson Kiprop and Robert Chemonges.
Biggest Ugandan team expected in Tokyo
Otuchet also confirmed that athletes have stepped up preparations, and is confident Uganda will have at least 20 track and field athletes qualify. This would be the largest in recent Olympics, as there were 17 at the last Games in Rio, and 11 in London 2012.
“Qualification runs until end of June, so I am optimistic we will have at least 5 more from the 20 who have already qualified. This should include Jacob Kiplimo who has not yet got a chance to run on the track since his injury in 2019,” Otuchet said.
Kiplimo indicated he is back on form last year, when he won the World Half-Marathon Athletics Championship in Gdynia, Poland on his debut.
Otuchet revealed that government, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) and the African National Olympics Association (ANOCA) are supporting the athletes in pre-Tokyo preparations.
“Those who have already qualified, and those who are close, are all training hard. The long distance athletes are all in Kapchorwa training with their various camps and coaches. The sprinters are in Kampala, and they have all got material and financial support already,” Otuchet said.
He said the elite athletes had recently got $1,000 from IOC, while government has given all who have qualified, and those close to qualifying sh1.2million each to prepare to Tokyo.
“We are targeting a good show at the Olympics and the athletes who have already qualified are preparing well for the event,” Otuchet confirmed. (CLICK to read who have qualified page 2)
The post Kiprotich Tokyo Olympics decision to be made next week appeared first on The Independent Uganda:.
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