Uganda women dominate cross country

By Norman Katende

Women 6km competition

1 Winnie Nanyondo (UGA) 20:33.77

2 Dorcus Ajok (UGA) 21:01.85

3 Prim Twikirize (UGA) 21:06.14

4 Ayumi Uehara (JPN) 21:16.97

5 Fayuka Kimuna (JPN) 21:22.33

6 Natsumi Ozawa (JPN) 21:30.63

7 Julie-Anne Staehli (CAN) 21:31.34

8 Sheila Kandie (KEN) 21:39.15

9 Thembi Lucia Baloyi (RSA) 21:43.40

10 Annet Chebet (UGA) 21:43.50

Team Results

1 Uganda 6

2 Japan 15

3 Canada 38

4 South Africa 48

5 Italy 51

KAMPALA University student Winnie Nanyondo led Team Uganda to an individual podium sweep and a team gold as they dominated the World University Cross Country championships at Entebbe Golf Course on Saturday afternoon.

“It was a challenging course but I first studied my competitors before I steadied and at the end, I managed to win the gold medal,” said the middle distance runner, who insists that though she managed to win a 6km race, she still has her focus on the 800m and 1500m distances.

Nanyondo passed the first of the four 1.5km lap route in 4th place but by the second last lap, she had already broken from the chasing pack and by the last lap, it was a matter of what time she would post to win the race as she had set up a good pace and gap to take charge.

“I still have two years to run the middle distance and it will be after that I will focus on change. My target is to see to it that I qualify for the Commonwealth Games and then, I will target a medal in Glasgow,” added the runner, who was a finalist at the world junior championships in Barcelona last year.

Nanyondo was followed by another middle distance runner Dorcus Ajok, who looked at the course as challenging but the plan set out was able to be fulfilled.

“We had a plan of helping each other and running as a team and we did the same till the last minute. It is no surprise that we managed to sweep all the individual medals,” added Ajok, the Ndejje University student.