Musagala sets sights on 800m final

By Norman Katende in Moscow

UGANDA’S 800m runner Ronald Musagala has been given an advantage to chase the front runners in his bid to qualify for the final of the 800m men’s event at the IAAF World Athletics Championships here at Luzhiniki Stadium today evening.

Musagala won his round 1 heat, posting the seventh fastest time of 1:46.12 to qualify for the semi-finals will be racing in lane 2 of heat III that starts today evening at 6.51pm, Ugandan time.

Despite having the slowest time in the heat that has experienced runners like American Nick Symonds of USA, the fastest with a personal best of 1:42.95, Kenya’s Anthony Clement at 1:43.63 and Djibouti’s Ayanleh Souleman (1:44.31), Musagala has remains focussed and relaxed admitting that his time in the heats was not good.

“I will go out there to fight to qualify. It is my final and I will give it all my best,” said the runner, who took a rest and did not hang around in the stadium to watch the 10000m final that had the Ugandan trio of Moses Kipsiro, Thomas Ayeko and Timothy Toroitich.

“He is resting. He is new at the international scene but he is coping really fast. I have advised him to run his race and fight to set a new personal best and I think he has taken the advice going by what he did in his first outing,” said his coach Benjamin Longiros.