Chekwel goes for steeplechase

By Norman Katende

After setting the national record in the women 10000m,  Juliet Chekwel will be spending most of her time in Europe trying to learn the basics of steeplechase, as she focuses on winning an Olympic  gold medal that eluded Dorcus Inzikuru.

Her focus is to see that she finishes on the podium at the  Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Though becoming a world champion in the women 3000m steeplechase in the 2005 Helsinki World Championships, Inzikuru did not manage to win a gold medal at the  Olympics Games.

She was also a 5000m and 10000m runner before shifting to the  women 3000m steeplechase.

Chekwel, who did a two-week training for steeplechase early this year is set to head for Europe, most likely in Tuscany for more training on the basics of going over the steeple, which has been her biggest failure, despite having the required speed.

"I am supposed to go for training. They were getting a specialist on steeplechase training in UK but I also have got an offer from Tuscany Camp for more training. I will be in Europe but am yet to decide where I will be going," she said yesterday.

Tuscany coach Giuseppe Giambrone, who is handling the Uganda team with Benjamin Longiross said that the earlier she does the training, the better.

"For now, what she has to do is to have some basic training of going over the hurdles and the steeple, which will take about four months. By April we can start on speed and I am sure she will make it to the finals in Rio," said Giambrone, who played a big role in coaching Solomon Mutai.

Tuscany has an agreement of coaching all Uganda national team athletes at their high altitude training camp and also offer them all the medication required in their sports hospital as long as they are flown to Italy.

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