Nanyondo qualifies for World Championships

Dates: Wednesday and Thursday 

Venue: Namboole 

 

Dates: August 3-14 

Venue: London 

 

Winnie Nanyondo has avoided that last minute scramble for inclusion on the team to represent Uganda at the World Athletics Championships. 

 

After hitting the 800m qualifying mark last Friday night in Madrid, she can now turn attention to preparing for the August 3-14 competitions in London. 

 

The athlete had been in danger of exclusion from the Uganda team until she finally hit the London standard during the World Athletics Meeting in Spain. She clocked 2:00.22 which got her a fourth place finish but well within the qualifying mark of 2:01.00. 

 

For Nanyondo,  qualification was a massive relief after she struggled with injury from mid-June till the first week of July. 

 

"I trained for only one week and qualified. I am returning home from the Netherlands within the coming days to continue my preparation for the World Championships.

 

"I have fully recovered now after treatment," Nanyondo said on Saturday afternoon. 

 

Her qualification brought to to two the number of women who have made the 800m mark - the other being Dorcus Ajok. 

 

 

The marathon is likely to present Uganda Athletics Federation with a selection headache since more than three runners have laid a claim for inclusion. 

 

Federation president Domenec Otuchet had earlier warned that achieving the standards does not guarantee selection onto the Uganda team. He said it would instead serve as a useful guide to the selection process before a final team is named. 

 

Those with the best times will take precedence over the rest. The time when one achieved the qualifying standard may also come into play here as an indicator of the individual athlete's current form.