Musagala finishes 6th in Shanghai

By Norman Katende

Shanghai Golden Grand Prix

Men 800m

1. Robert Biwott (KEN)   1:44.69

2 Taoufik Makhloufi (ALG)   1:44.73

3 André Olivier (RSA)    1:44.85 

6 Ronald Musagala (UGA)    1:46.54                  

Men 5000m

1 Yenew Alamirew (ETH)   13:04.83

2 Thomas Longosiwa (KEN)   13:05.44

3 Hagos Gebrhiwet (ETH)   13:06.88            

18 Timothy Toroitich (UGA)   13:36.60 

RONALD Musagala’s first appearance in an international race outside the World Championships saw him finish 6th in the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix on Sunday.

Uganda’s leading 800m runner managed to clock 1 minute 46.54 seconds to finish 6th in the men’s 800m race that was won by Kenya’s Robert Biwott. The time was Musagala’s season best after the 1:47.25 ran in the third national trials at Namboole last month.

Musagala had looked at trying to improve on his personal best of 1:45.71 which helped him qualify for last year’s IAAF Moscow World Championships. 

This was during the National Championships at Namboole but excitement saw him fail in his endeavour, despite crossing the halfway mark in the top four.

Timothy Toroitich on the other hand did not have a good outing after finishing 18th in the 5000m race which was won by Eritrean Yenew Alamirew, a silver medallist at the 2011 Maputo All Africa Games with experienced Kenyan Thomas Longosiwa coming home in second.

Toroitich, a better 10000m runner, had been entered the race to manage his speed, but his performance will see his managers go back to the drawing board to show how he needs to improve if he is to make it to Team Uganda for the Commonwealth Games.