Linnet out, 19 for World Cross Country in China

By Norman Katende

Uganda’s medal hopeful and one of the top performing female runners Linnet Toroitich  has been dropped from the senior women cross country championship team  after failing to  recover from an  injury  she picked in Nairobi.

Linnet had travelled with Timothy Toroitich for the Nairobi permit meet as other runners battled for the national title, and it is there where she picked the injury.

The Uganda Athletics Federation entered its biggest cross country contingent ever since the 2007 IAAF World Cross Championships, as they also prepare to host the 2017 event.

The national athletics federation entered a full team of both junior and senior men and women for this year’s World event that is set for March 28 in Guiyang, China. The team leaves Wednesday for the biennial event.

According to the federation president Domenic Otuchet, the federation had to improvise in seeing that they enter teams to all events and he was positive that they will also work hard.

“Going by the performance of the individual athletes and the report from the training quartet, we are going to perform better and we expect medals,” said a confident Otuchet.

In the last edition, Moses Kipsiro finished in fourth position followed by Timothy Toroitich in the senior men category while Juliet Chekwel finished in 9th position in the women event.

The team

Junior women: Mercelyne Chelangat, Doreen Chemutai, Janat Chemusto and Stella Chesang

Junior men: Joshua Cheptegei, Fred Musobo, Monday Bushendich, Abel Chebet and Robert Chemonges

Senior women: Rachael Chebet Zena, Juliet Chekwel, Adero Nyakisi, Nancy Cheptegei and Emily Chebet

Senior Men: Moses Kipsiro, Timothy Toroitich, Philip Kipyeko, Geoffrey Kusuro and Moses Kibet

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