World Athletics Championship: Chesang, Chelangat eye podium finish in Women’s 10000m final
David GOMBE
The 2023 World Athletics Championship will get underway on Saturday, 19th August in Hungary, Budapest.
Uganda’s long-distance duo of Stella Chesang and Sarah Chelangat will contest for the women’s 10000m World Athletics final on Saturday evening (EAT 9:55PM) at the National Athletics Centre.
Chesang is a 2018 Commonwealth champion in the distance and will be seeking glory in Budapest.
At the Oregon Worlds last year, Chesang finished 14th.
She also missed out on the medal at the Commonwealth games that were held in Birmingham in 2022. She finished fourth.
Chelangat did not compete at the Oregon Worlds and will be eyeing a podium finish.
Meanwhile, Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan and Ethiopian duo Gudaf Tsegay and Letesenbet Gidey are the favourites for the women’s 10,000m gold medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
Hassan is the Olympic gold medallist in 10,000m and 5000m races. She is one of the most complete long-distance runners in the world.
The 30-year-old Dutch also won gold in 10k and 1500m at World Championships in Doha 2019.
With a personal best of 29:06.82s (second-best in history), Hassan is a very strong contender for gold in Budapest.
She enters the event with a time of 29:37.80s (second-best in this season).
Ethiopia’s Gidey is the reigning world champion of this event.
She grabbed gold by clocking 30:09.94s in the Oregon World Championships in 2022.
She is also the world record holder with an astounding time of 29:01.03s that she registered in FBK Stadium, Hengelo in the Netherlands in 2021.
He compatriot Tsegay currently ranks ninth in the world in women’s 10,000m.
She is the 5000m world champion and has a personal and season best of 29:29.73, which she recorded at Ethiopia’s World Championships Trials in Nerja, Spain.
She also enters the event with a world-leading time.
Uganda Athletes in Action on Saturday:
•Men’s 3000m SC heats – Leonard Chemutai (12:50pm)
•Women’s 1500m Heats – Winnie Nanyondo (2:48pm)
•Men’s 1500m Heats – Abu Mayanja (08:20pm)
•Women’s 10,000m final – Stella Chesang & Sarah Chelangat (9:55pm)