Shida Leni eyes Tokyo as qualification clock ticks

Uganda’s 400m star, Shida Leni, is racing against time to secure a spot at the 2025 World Athletics Championships, set for September 13–21 in Tokyo, Japan.

Despite a solid domestic season, Leni is among several athletes who fell short of the automatic qualification mark before the Uganda Athletics (UA) calendar closed on July 24.

With the World Athletics qualification window set to close on August 24, she has now turned her sights to a string of upcoming international competitions.

“By world ranking, I’m doing well, but I want to qualify by hitting the standard,” said Leni, who currently boasts a season-best time of 50.93 seconds. To qualify automatically in the women’s 400m, she needs to hit 50.75 seconds.

To close the gap, Leni has mapped out a busy August with four international races, kicking off in Belgium on August 9, followed by events in Poland and Slovakia, with additional meets pending confirmation.

“I believe I’ll hit the qualification standard at one of these events,” she added with determination.

A cornerstone of Uganda’s sprinting scene, Leni is banking on experience, grit, and precision race planning to punch her ticket to Tokyo.

With the clock ticking, she remains one of Uganda’s top prospects in the women’s 400m—committed not just to qualifying, but to proving she belongs among the world’s elite.