INZIKURU

Oct 12, 2003

DORCUS Inzikuru finally lived up to the promise she showed as a junior by winning the All Africa Games 5000m silver medal on Saturday.

Athletics 5000m
Dorcus Inzikuru silver medal

Louis Jadwong At The All Africa Games

DORCUS Inzikuru finally lived up to the promise she showed as a junior by winning the All Africa Games 5000m silver medal on Saturday.
In a slow, tactical race in the drenching rain at the National Stadium Abuja, Inzikuru broke the Kenyan and Ethiopian hold on the long distance races with a brave performance in the final lap.
The 21-year old Ugandan who ran in the pack just behind the race leaders for 12 laps, stopped the cat-and-mouse game involving three Ethiopians and two Kenyans by breaking clear of the field with 300m to go.
“I heard them (Ethiopians and Kenyans) saying they will start sprinting with 200m to go. So I took off at 300m — I disorganised the Kenyans and Ethiopians by sprinting off first,” she said.
Ethiopian Defar Meseret chased and then out sprinted Inzikuru on the home stretch to take gold in 16:42.00.
Former world junior champion Inzikuru picked up only her other medal in the senior category after the senior African championships last year, in 16:42.90 with bronze going to Kenyan Isabela Ochichi.
It was a slow race and the time well outside Inzikuru’s personal best of 15:18.02. Favourite Edith Masai came sixth, behind two Ethiopians Sent Ejegu and Tirunesh Dibaba.
“I am excited and happy that I have kept my promise to go back home with a medal,” Inzikuru said after the race.
“We should continue to pray”, she added, “I want another medal in the 800m.”
Coach Nalis Bigingo had great faith in his runner. Hidden in his bag was the national flag that Inzikuru proudly wrapped around herself in celebration.
Jescar Kabasindi is expected in action in the javelin today according to the ever-changing athletics schedule while Paskar Owor should run the 800m final after the semi finals yesterday.
Also in action yesterday was decathlete Teddy Sondota.
After eight events of the decathlon, 27-year-old Sondota, dubbed an ‘athletics tourist’ after appearing at the last games and not participating, was surprisingly going strong.
The US-based athlete, who gate-crashed the games, had 5478 points behind leader Hassen Mustafa of Egypt with 6203, Lee Okorofo of Nigeria with 5961 and Redouane Youcef of Algeria with 5849. Jannie Botha of South Africa was trailing (5450) in the five-man competition.
Athletics has already set the games alight with exciting competition despite the absence of top names.
Two games records were broken on Day One. South Africa’s Chris Harmse set a new hammer throw mark of 75.17m and shot putter Vivian Chukwuemeka set a new mark of 18.12m.
After a fatiguing season of competition, Abuja 2003 is missing some of Africa’s greatest athletes like Maria Mutola, Haile Gebrselassie and Hicham El-Guerrouj .
The Ugandan run in the women 100m ended Saturday night.
Veronica Wabukawo finished 8th in 12.05 in a semifinal won by favourite, Africa’s 35 year-old track queen Mary Onyali-Omagbemi, in 11.18. Justine Bayiga was 7th in her semifinal in 12.05.
Ends

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