Paris Olympics: Leonard Chemutai eyes Podium finish
David GOMBE
Wednesday
*Oscar Chelimo (Men’s 5000m Heats) – 12:30pm
*Tom Drariga (Men’s 800m Heats) – 1:35pm
*Winnie Nanyondo (Women’s 1500m Repechage) – 1:45pm
*Tarsis Orogot (Men’s 200m Semis) – 9:02pm
*Leonard Chemutai (Mens 3000m SC final) – 10:43pm
Uganda’s Leonard Chemutai will be eyeing a podium finish in the men’s 3000m steeplechase final on Wednesday night at the Stade de France.
Leonard posted a season best of 8:18.19 in the semifinal on Monday to reach the final on his Olympic games’ debut.
Leonard finished second in his Heat One behind reigning Olympic champion Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali .
He is the fourth male Ugandan steeplechaser at the Olympics after the late Benjamin Kiplagat, Jacob Araptany and Albert Chemutai.
Leonard went to Paris after winning the Africa Senior Athletics Championships gold in Douala, in July.
Meanwhile, Tarsis Orogot another debutant at the Olympic games will be seeking to reach the men’s 200m final.
Orogot won his Heat two to progress to the semifinal after finishing in a time of 20.32 seconds.
In the semifinal, Orogot who became the first Ugandan sprinter at the games since Davis Kamoga in 1996 will be in Heat One of the semi-final.
His heat has reigning 200m Olympic champion Andre De Grasse (Canada), world number two Kenneth Bednarek (USA), and Andrew Ogando (Dominican Republic).
In the 5000m Men’s Heats, Oscar Chelimo will carry Uganda’s hopes of retaining the Olympic title.
Without reigning 5000m champion Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo, the onus is now on Chelimo and will be seeking to prevail to the final.
The 2022 World bronze medallist at the distance will be in Heat Two alongside World champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Norway) and 10000m Olympic bronze medallist Grant Fisher (USA).
The top eight in each Heat progress to the 5000m final.
Winnie Nanyondo will participate in the Women’s 1500m Repechage after failing to secure an automatic spot in the semifinals in Tuesday’s heats.
Nanyondo finished will have another chance of progression in the women’s 1500m.
On Tuesday she finished 10th with a time of 4:07.06 and will now have to finish among the top three in her repechage Heat to prevail.
Her Heat includes strong competitors Birke Haylom (Ethiopia) and Esther Guerrero (Spain).
Meanwhile, Tom Drariga will go in the Men’s 800m Heat six, with the first 3 in each heat advance to Semi-Final, all others advance to Repechage Round.
Uganda has so far won two medals at the ongoing Paris games, Cheptegei’s 10000m gold and Silver for Peruth Chemutai in the Women’s 3000m Steeplechase.