Birungi heads for SA

By Silvano Kibuuka Grace Birungi travels to South Africa tomorrow to participate in three international meets. The national 800 metre star heads for Roodeport City where she will participate in an international race scheduled for March 16. She is also entered for another event, an International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) on March 23 in Pretoria and an IAAF grand prix event in Stellenbosch City on March 30. She is expected back in Uganda on March 31. Birungi has been under intensive training at Mandela Stadium, Namboole. Two other Ugandans Pascal Owor in the 800metres and Francis Ogola (400m) are expected to participate in the last two events. Many international stars from Europe are expected in South Africa. r Maria Mutola repeated her Sydney 2000 Olympic victory over arch-rival Stephanie Graf in an agonisingly close finish to the world indoor women's 800 metres final on Sunday. Austrian Graf made her move with 150 metres to run after Olympic finalist Helena Dziurova-Fuchosav of the Czech Republic had taken the field through the bell. She powered around the final bend with Mozambique's Mutola chasing hard and appeared to have the race won in the straight before Mutola summoned extra reserves to forge ahead on the line and win by four-hundredths of a second. Mutola, the first person from Mozambique to win an Olympic title and twice a world indoor champion, clocked one minute 59.74 seconds ahead of the Austrian while Dziurova-Fuchsova held on for third in 2:01.18. Olympic finalist Yuriy Borzakovskiy of Russia, still only 19, won the men's 800 metres in impressive fashion, striding past the Swiss leader Andre Bucher on the final lap to win in 1:44.49. South African defending champion Johan Botha overtook the tiring Bucher to take bronze in 1:46.42 with Bucher, still seeking a major title after five silver medals, finishing third. Mutola said Sunday's victory was her closest in a championship and dedicated it to the thousands left homeless in the recent flood disaster in Mozambique. "This is a difficult time for Mozambique," she said. "I was thinking about the people of Mozambique while running. This victory is for them," said Mutola, who is also Africa Games champion. Ends