Arap limps to bronze in Canada

Jul 26, 2010

JACOB Araptany limped to a bronze medal in the men’s 3000m steeplechase, also Uganda’s second medal, at the World Junior athletics Championships that concluded Sunday.

By Norman Katende
in Moncton, Canada


3000mSC final
Men

J. Ndiku (Kenya) 8:23.48
A. Yator (Kenya) 8:33.55
J. Araptany 8:37.02

JACOB Araptany limped to a bronze medal in the men’s 3000m steeplechase, also Uganda’s second medal, at the World Junior athletics Championships that concluded Sunday.

Fast rising Annet Negesa had earlier won another bronze for Uganda in the women 800m event.

Going into the final with an injured ankle, which he has surprisingly been running with at the event, Araptany was determined to keep his promise of finishing in a medal bracket.

He kept with the leading pack that had Kenyan duo of Jonathan Ndiku and Albert Kipto and the Ethiopians Desta Alemu and Aferwek Mesfin, together with Spain’s Abdelaziz Merzougui.

But after just two of the seven and half lap race, Merzougui and Mesfin fell off. At the same time, Araptany started feeling pain and changed his running style from the toes to becoming flat footed, though he never lessened the speed.

With two laps remaining, it was him and the Kenyans challenging the medal podium, but as he cleared the steeple, he failed to jump out full length, causing more harm, but the distance he had built was good enough as he hung on for the last 800m to win bronze.

“It was a hard race but when the pain started, I could not push harder. I am happy for the bronze but I would have pushed for more. I feel that the body still wanted to push, but the ankle was hurting,” said Araptany, who added that he is targeting a gold medal in future.

“It was my fifth steeplechase event and if I can perform like this, it means that with better training and competition, I can win gold and I will not give up,” the Ugandan distance athlete said before being taken for his third drug test in the championship, and the medal awarding ceremony.

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