Mixed Fortunes for Uganda’s Athletes at World Athletics Championships

Tokyo, Japan — Uganda’s contingent at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 endured a day of mixed results as several athletes took to the track and the roads in search of glory.

In the men’s 3000m steeplechase heats, Leonard Chemutai put in a strong effort but narrowly missed out on qualification for the final. Running in a highly competitive heat, Chemutai clocked 8:33.24 to finish ninth, with only the top finishers securing automatic spots in Monday’s final.

In the women’s 1500m, Aciru Knight also faced a tough field. Despite giving her all, she finished 11th in her heat with a time of 4:09.79, bringing her World Championships campaign to an end.

The women’s 10,000m final saw Uganda represented by Joy Cheptoyek, Rebecca Chelangat, and Sarah Chelangat. Cheptoyek was the top Ugandan finisher, claiming 7th place in a time of 31:15.03, while Rebecca Chelangat crossed the line in 12th position with 31:38.61. Unfortunately, Sarah Chelangat was forced to drop out before the finish.

Uganda also had runners in the women’s marathon earlier in the day. Stella Chesang produced a commendable performance to secure 12th place in 2:31:13, while Chelangat Mercyline ran a season’s best of 2:45:36 to finish 49th. Juliet Chekwel, however, did not finish the race.

Despite missing out on podium places, the Ugandan team showed resilience and determination against the world’s best, with several personal and season-best performances recorded.