19-year old Negesa wins 2nd career gold
May 15, 2011
ANNET Negesa ended her junior career by picking two continental gold medals and also setting a national 1500m women’s record.
By NORMAN KATENDE
Africa Junior Championships
Finals
1500m, Women
1. A. Negesa (UGA) 4:09.17
2 Chepkwemoi (KEN) 4:09.25
3 S. Ndiwa (KEN) 4:15.84
5000m, men
1. A. Zerihun (ETH) 13:38.52
2. A. Abraham (KEN) 13:39.17
3 T. Ayeko (UGA) 13:40.04
ANNET Negesa ended her junior career by picking two continental gold medals and also setting a national 1500m women’s record.
The 19-year old achieved the feat at the Africa Junior championships that ended in Gaborone, Botswana yesterday.
Thomas Ayeko also won a bronze medal in the 5000m event his second bronze in the biennial event.
At the climax of the four-day meet, Negesa had to push hard after Kenyan Nancy Chepkwemoi stayed close to her in the lead until the last 200m of the three and half lap race.
It was however the final kick that she has been working on for the last three days that saw her sprint to victory in a national record breaking time of 4 minutes 9.17 seconds.
It was the second gold at the meet for Negesa, who last year won bronze in the 800m of the world junior championships, but finished sixth in the 1500m final in Moncton, Canada.
Janet Achola owned the past record of 4:09.51 which she set during the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi last year.
“She was tired and I advised her to take it easy and save the energy for the final stretch which she did.
She kept with the leading pack, cautious of not taking the lead, but again not allowing them to build a big gap. It is a good result,†said coach Ronnie Kasirye yesterday. Negesa had on Friday won gold in the 800m race.
But Thomas Ayeko was not that lucky with the last sprint, falling off from gold and silver medal positions in the final 20m to the finish line in the men’s 5000m.
It was here that Ethiopian Yitayal Atnafu Zerihun and Kenyan Abraham Kasongor, outpaced him, leaving him the bronze as Zerihun struck gold and the Kenyan took silver.
He was beaten by less than two seconds and Kasirye blamed it on lack of experience.
“If he gets more time and races, he is a good runner. It is not too bad a result for him,†the coach added.
The team is scheduled to return on Wednesday after finding difficulty in flight connections from Botswana.
Africa Junior Championships
Finals
1500m, Women
1. A. Negesa (UGA) 4:09.17
2 Chepkwemoi (KEN) 4:09.25
3 S. Ndiwa (KEN) 4:15.84
5000m, men
1. A. Zerihun (ETH) 13:38.52
2. A. Abraham (KEN) 13:39.17
3 T. Ayeko (UGA) 13:40.04
ANNET Negesa ended her junior career by picking two continental gold medals and also setting a national 1500m women’s record.
The 19-year old achieved the feat at the Africa Junior championships that ended in Gaborone, Botswana yesterday.
Thomas Ayeko also won a bronze medal in the 5000m event his second bronze in the biennial event.
At the climax of the four-day meet, Negesa had to push hard after Kenyan Nancy Chepkwemoi stayed close to her in the lead until the last 200m of the three and half lap race.
It was however the final kick that she has been working on for the last three days that saw her sprint to victory in a national record breaking time of 4 minutes 9.17 seconds.
It was the second gold at the meet for Negesa, who last year won bronze in the 800m of the world junior championships, but finished sixth in the 1500m final in Moncton, Canada.
Janet Achola owned the past record of 4:09.51 which she set during the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi last year.
“She was tired and I advised her to take it easy and save the energy for the final stretch which she did.
She kept with the leading pack, cautious of not taking the lead, but again not allowing them to build a big gap. It is a good result,†said coach Ronnie Kasirye yesterday. Negesa had on Friday won gold in the 800m race.
But Thomas Ayeko was not that lucky with the last sprint, falling off from gold and silver medal positions in the final 20m to the finish line in the men’s 5000m.
It was here that Ethiopian Yitayal Atnafu Zerihun and Kenyan Abraham Kasongor, outpaced him, leaving him the bronze as Zerihun struck gold and the Kenyan took silver.
He was beaten by less than two seconds and Kasirye blamed it on lack of experience.
“If he gets more time and races, he is a good runner. It is not too bad a result for him,†the coach added.
The team is scheduled to return on Wednesday after finding difficulty in flight connections from Botswana.