World Junior Champs: Nanyondo through to 800m final

By Norman Katende in Barcelona

800m Women semi-finals

Heat I

1. A. Tkachuk (UKR) 2:0250

2. A. Hinkiksdottir (ISL) 2:03.15

Heat II

1. E. Dudgeon (GBR) 2:02.32

2. A. Wilson (USA) 2:02.43

3. H. Nakaayi (Disqualified)

Heat III

1. J. Judd (GBR) 2:02.30

2. W. Nanyondo (UGA) 2:02.38

Today

10.15pm 800m women

Winnie Nanyondo believes that she can win a medal on her international debut at the World Junior athletics championships here in Barcelona Wednesday.

This is after she finished second and qualified for the finals of the women 800m after an explosive Heat III action. She beat other favourites including Kenya’s Agatha Kimaswai and Morocco’s Khadija El Moussaoui, who will be missing out on the final list.

But her counterpart Halimah Nakaayi was unlucky as she was again disqualified in another major event for stepping inside the field more than three times. She was disqualified at the Youth Olympic Games.

The 18-year old Nanyondo  hung on against favourite Jessica Judd in a well-calculated semi-final, planning well, knowing  when to push, relax and then push again as she appeared through the  blocking pack to reach home second.

“It was tight. I was lucky that I was running against one of the fastest junior runners this season and this gave me more push. I believe with good planning and concentration, I can beat her,” said Nanyondo, who was unknown in the IAAF cycles prior to this run.

She however suffered from lactic, though she believed that she will be fine by tomorrow.

Unlucky Nakaayi came home fourth, and later the technical committee announced that she had been disqualified under rule 163.3 involving stepping on the outside lane.

Nakaayi had pushed hard, crossing the halfway mark in the lead but when the longer stride started to take over, she was boxed from inside, forcing her to step in the inside lane.

“Bigaanye!! [things have failed],” she said as she passed in the athletes mixed zone after the race.

“I will plan for the next world junior as I will still be legible,” she said.