Uganda: Ultimate Guide to Uganda's Olympic Team in Paris

Uganda has competed at the Olympics since 1956, only boycotting in 1976. During that time, Uganda has won 11 medals; four gold, four silver and three bronze.

As the beginning of the 2024 Olympics in Paris draws nigh, July 26 being the opening day, JOHN VIANNEY NSIMBE gives a low-down on each of the 25 individuals on the contingent that will be flying Uganda's flag.

TARSIS OROGOT, 200m:

In May this year, Orogot ran a personal best time in an event held in Florida, USA in a time of 19:75. This was 15 seconds more than his previous best time in April 2023 during the same event.

At 21 years of age, Orogot, who started competing at the top level back in Namboole in 2017, remains a work in progress and, most im- importantly, a huge prospect. At his last two major championships, which happened to be the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, 2022, and Budapest, 2023, Orogot ran a 20.35 and a 20.26 respectively, which highlights the progress made.

But in his sights must be the world 200 metres champion, Noah Lyles from the USA, who won the gold in Budapest last year in 19.52.

TOM DRADRIGA, 800m:

At 28, Dradriga will be appearing at his first Olympics for Uganda. He has also been running the 1,500 metres race, but he is likely to concentrate more on the 800 metres considering his recent performances. During the African Athletics Championships in Cameroon last month, Dradriga finished with a bronze medal in 1:46.01, while at the All Africa Games in Ghana, he was 13 micro-seconds slower, hence finishing fourth.

The current world champion in this race is Marco Arop from Canada, who ran it in 1:42.85 in Budapest last year. But there is Djamel Sedjati from Algeria, who has the fastest time this year of 1:41.46, followed by Kenyan Emmanuel Wanyonyi with 1:41.58. Dradriga has a real battle on his hands to match those athletes.

JACOB KIPLIMO, 5,000 & 10,000m:

At 23, Kiplimo is already decorated, and there is every sign that slowly but surely, he is coming of age. He won a bronze medal in the 10,000 metres 2020 Olympics in Japan. That, he followed with another bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon, USA, before he won double gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, 2022.

In his most recent 5,000 metres race, that was in Oslo, Norway in May, Kiplimo finished third in 12:40.96. Kiplimo is currently ranked tenth in the 5,000 metres in the world. His last 10,000 metres race happened in August 2022 at the Commonwealth Games, where he won in 27:09.19.

But in Ostrava, Czechia, back in May 2021, he ran the 10,000 metres race in 26:33.93. The best time in the 10,000 metres that has been run this year, was by Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha of 26:31.01, while another Ethiopian, Hagos Gebrhi- wet has run the best time in the 5,000m at 12:36.73.

JOSHUA CHEPTEGEI, 5,000 & 10,000m:

At the last Olympics in Tokyo, Cheptegei, who is arguably Uganda's best track and field athlete of all time, won silver and gold in the 10,000m and 5,000m races respectively. He had been expected to clinch the double, and once he did not, there was a feeling of an anti-climax.

Yet, he goes to Paris with heightened anticipation that maybe this time, at 27 years, he will be able to win both races, before he heads out to the marathons. Already a one-time Olympic champion and three-time world champion, Cheptegei has not run his favourite 10,000m race since winning gold in Budapest last year during the world championships.

His most recent race was in Oslo, Norway at the Diamond League in May, where he finished ninth in 12:51.94. It was a race that happened when Cheptegei was returning from injury, therefore, not much may be read into it especially because he has for time immemorial, had a knack of rising to the big occasion, when many have written him off.

OSCAR CHELIMO, 5,000m:

Chelimo, 22, excited many, when he won the bronze medal in the 5,000 metres last year at the World Championships in 13:33.40. Therefore, there will be a lot of expectations on him going out to Paris. Yet, looking at his recent races, during the Diamond League in Oslo, Norway in May, he finished tenth in 12:54.59.

This he followed up with a first-place finish at the Track Night event in Austria last month in 12:59.19, which was a worse time than when he finished tenth earlier. While Chelimo's times have improved compared to what he was running last year, competition from elsewhere has become tougher from the Ethiopians in the same race, as mentioned before.

MARTIN MAGENGO KIPROTICH, 10,000m:

The 21-year-old has mostly been running the 10km road races this year, finishing sixteenth in Herzogenaurach, Germany in April.

This was in a time of 28:08, after which he travelled to Trieste, Italy, and won in 28:20. In June, Kiprotich ran another 10km road race in Langueux, France, finishing twelfth in 29 minutes.

Yet, the last time he ran a 10,000-metre race, was at Namboole stadium in July last year, finishing third in 28:46.01. The best 10,000 metres time this year, is 26:31.01. So, Magengo has an act to follow.

LEONARD CHEMUTAI, 3,000m STEEPLECHASE:

While he has also competed in the 5,000m race, Chemutai will be concentrating on the 3,000 metres steeplechase. During the African Athletics Championships in Cameroon last month, Chemutai finished with gold in 8:31.30.

At the World Championships in Budapest last year, Chemutai finished twelfth in 8:21.61. The best male athlete in this race is Lamecha Girmah, who ran the steeplechase in 7:52.11 last year in July.

VICTOR KIPLANGAT, MARATHON:

The last two years have been incredible for Kiplangat, 24. In 2022, he won the Commonwealth Games gold medal in the marathon. That, he duly followed up with another victory at the world championships in Hungary last year. However, his most recent display, was at the Tokyo marathon in March, where he finished at number 15 in 2:07:44.

Interestingly, his running time is a better than when he won at the world championships last year, but by one minute.

STEPHEN KISSA, MARATHON:

Kissa has been there and done it, as a pacemaker. The 35-year-old carries bundles of experience at this level, despite never winning before. But this year, he has had some really interesting times.

During the Osaka marathon in February, he finished second in 2:06:22. At the world championships last year in Budapest, Kissa finished fifth in 2:10:22. The best marathon time this year is held by Benson Kipruto of Kenya, who ran the Osaka marathon in 2:02:16, a result which should encourage Kissa.

ANDREW ROTICH KWEMOI, MARATHON:

Rotich's best time this year is 2:07:52 that he recorded at the marathon in Milan, Italy in the month of April. The 23-year-old ran 2:07:14 during the same marathon last year.

He is undoubtedly a big Ugandan prospect but he, of all people, knows how competitive the field is going to be in Paris. He is currently ranked at number 163 in the world.

HALIMA NAKAAYI, 800m:

Her celebration at the 2019 World Athletics Championship in Doha remains monumental, being that she was the first Ugandan female runner to win that race at that stage. She won that race in 1:58.04. Nakaayi is probably a legend already, but no doubt, she wants more.

Unfortunately, since that time, Nakaayi has not won at a major event; at times troubled by injury spells that have set her aback. But she has still remained competitive, particularly this year, going into the Olympics.

In March at the All Africa Games in Ghana, Nakaayi won silver in 1:58.59. Before then, she had competed in the World Athletics Indoor championships in Glasgow, Scotland, where she finished sixth in 2:05.53.

In May, she won the USATF Grand Prix in Los Angeles in 1:57.56, before she finished fifth in the Hayward Field, Diamond League event in Eugene, Oregon in 1:58.18.

With that time, Nakaayi, 29, was three seconds behind the best female 800 metres runners in 2024. Great Britain's Keely Hodgkinson won the Hayward Field race in 1:55.78. That is the time Nakaayi has to beat, yet her most recent event on July 7 at the FBK Games in Hengelo, Netherlands saw her finish ninth in 2:00.53

WINNIE NANYONDO, 1,500m:

Nanyondo's greatest moment on track was 10 years ago in Glasgow, during the 2014 Commonwealth Games, where she won bronze in the 800 metres race. From then on, she has come close, but still not won.

Yet, she remains an elite athlete, who has once been among the top eight at the Olympics, twice among the top eight in the World Championships, and once in the top eight of the World Indoor championships.

At 30 now, Nanyondo is surely up against it, because it is at this point that one's speed begins to reduce. And with the heightened global competition, it is a tough field for her. In June, during the Night of Athletics race in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium, Nanyondo did not finish, just like was the case earlier this month in the FBK Games, Hengelo, Netherlands.

But in April at the Wanda Diamond League event in Xiamen, China, she finished thirteenth in 4:06.09, before she headed out to the International Marseille meeting in France, where she was ninth in 4:08.58. That was followed by the Spanish Clubs Championships in Castel- lon in May, which Nanyondo won, but with a worse time than in her previous events of 4:23.92.

The best this year in the 1,500 metres include Faith Kipyegon of Kenya, whose best time this year has been 3:49.04, Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay on 3:50.30, Jessica Hull of Australia on 3:50.83, and Birke Haylom on 3:53.22. All these have competed with Nanyondo this year.

JOY CHEPTOYEK, 5,000 & 10,000m:

Cheptoyek is going to be representing Uganda for the first time at the Olympics. And at 22 years of age, she has a lot ahead of her. In May, at the Kenyan Championships at the Nyayo stadium, Cheptoyek covered her 5,000 metres race in 15:26.03, before she ran the 10,000 metres in 32:31.08.

In June, she returned to Kenya for the National Trials for the Olympic Games, where she finished fifth in 15:02.30, a commendable improvement of 24 seconds from her last outing there. But her races are dominated by Ethiopians. Tsigie Gebreselama ran the best time this year in 14:18.76, and was closely followed by Ejgayehu Taye with a 14:18.92 mark.

ESTHER CHEBET, 5,000m:

Chebet won bronze at the Africa Athletics Championships last month in Cameroon. But that was in the 1,500 metres race, that she did in 4:06.90. That should boost the confidence of this 26 year old athlete, who is also a one time national champion.

However, in the race she is designated to run at the Olympics, a lot has to give. In May, she won the Grifone meeting 5,000 metres race in Italy in exactly 15:00.18. But, as earlier mentioned, her field at the world stage is so competitive, and therefore, she will have to up her speed if she is to finish on the podium in Paris.

BELINDA CHEMUTAI, 5,000m:

The 24-year-old former national champion has shown steady progress in her performances in the 5,000 metres race. Last year in June, at the Fana Stadion, Bergen, Norway, she ran a time of 15:23.48, which she reduced in May this year to 15:01.27 in Leiden, Netherlands, where she finished fourth.

In June, at the Track Night race in Vienna, Austria, she finished eleventh in a time of 15:01.42. To match the best in the world, Chemutai has to be focusing on her finishing burst.

SARAH CHELANGAT, 10,000m:

Chelangat, 23, is a former African Youth Games silver medalist and under-20 African Championships bronze medalist. She was also in the top eight at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, two years ago, when she ran a time of 15:07.79 in the 5,000 metres. She reduced that time to 14:40.88 in Sweden last year, before running 14:54.15 in Suzhou, China in April this year.

Yet, in the 10,000 metres, at the World Championships in Hungary last year, Chelangat ran her race in 31:40.04, which came down to 30:24.04 during her race in Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon in the USA in May this year. In that same race, the front field, led by Kenya's Beatrice Chebet (28:54.14), Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay (29:05.92) and Kenya's Lillian Kasait (29:26.89) are not a bridge too far for Chelangat if she steps on it.

ANNET CHEMENGICH, 10,000m:

Perhaps the rallying call will not differ from the one given to Sarah Chelangat as far as 30-year-old Chemengich is concerned, when it comes to the 10,000 metres race. Last year in Namboole, Chemengich ran a time of 34:32.25.

This year, she has done the Madrid half marathon instead, which is a 21km race, in 1:11:07.

PERUTH CHEMUTAI, 3,000m STEEPLECHASE:

Chemutai heads to Paris as the defending champion in her race. This inevitably comes with added pressure compared to how she felt heading to the 2020 Olympics in Japan.

Since then, she has won the bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and most recently, won the silver medal at the All Africa Games in Ghana earlier this year.

Chemutai's current ranking is fourth in the world. In winning gold at the last Olympics, she ran 9:01.45. Yet in May this year at the Hayward Field race in Oregon, USA, she ran a time of 8:55.09, a race she won. Before then in April, she ran in the Wanda Diamond League race in Xiamen, China, finishing third in 9:12.99.

This was followed by Yangtze Delta Athletics race in Suzhou, China, which she won in 9:15.46. The 25-year-old takes good form into the Olympics, as she is the best athlete this year, although Beatrice Chepkoech of Kenya and Valerie Constien of the USA will be breathing down her neck if fit.

STELLA CHESANG, MARATHON:

Chesang, 28, made her breakthrough on the world scene, following her gold medal win at the 2018 Commonwealth Games at the Gold Coast in Australia.

But she has struggled to repeat that feat since then. She has now moved to the marathon. This year, she is ranked number 58 in the world with a time of 2:23:36, eight minutes behind the top-ranked Asefa Kebede from Ethiopia.

MERCYLINE CHELANGAT, MARATHON:

Like Chesang in 2018, Chelangat also made her breakthrough in Gold Coast, Australia in the Commonwealth Games, bagging bronze in the 10,000 metres race. She has not won anything of significance since, though. Perhaps it is the reason she decided to go for marathons instead. Her most recent marathon was at Enschede, Netherlands in April 2023, where she ran a time of 2:24:12, finishing second.

REBECCA CHEPTEGEI, MARATHON:

At 33, Cheptegei finished fourth in the Half Marathon event at the All Africa Games that were held in Ghana in March this year. Despite missing out on a medal, Cheptegei ran her race in 1:15:20.

Before then, in February, she ran in the Doha marathon, finishing seventh in 2:34:08. She really has an outside chance in Paris, considering the best times posted this year by her competitors.

GLORIA ANNA MUZITO, SWIMMING:

The 100 metres freestyle swimmer won bronze at the All Africa Games in March this year. This was in Accra Ghana, where the 21-year-old also set a national record of 56.01.

That is her best result this year. But in the same distance in 2019, she clocked a time of 55.45. But at the Bahrain swimming championships in June, she recorded a 56.88 time. The best winning time this year in her race was 52.26. Muzito will have to try and beat it if she is to stand a chance of making the podium.

JESSE SSENGONZI, SWIMMING:

Ssengonzi, 21, will be competing in the 100 metres butterfly race for Uganda at the Olympics. His best results this year have seen him record a time of 54.55 in the aforementioned distance and swimming style at CANA games held in Angola in February.

While he holds six national records, at the World Acquatics Championships in Doha, held in February, Ssengonzi recorded a 54.48 time, eight seconds slower than his showing in the USA in 2023 at the TYR Pro Series.

CHARLES KAGIMU, CYCLIST:

The 25-year-old won gold at the All Africa Games time trial in Ghana earlier this year. However, he was sixth in the road race. In the African cycling championships in 2023, he finished first in the time trial, seventh in the road race and was first in the Great Rift Valley Challenge.

KATHLEEN GRACE NOBLE, ROWING:

Noble, 29, was the first Ugandan to compete at the 2020 Olympics in the sport of rowing, after winning the 2km single scull race at the 2019 Africa rowing regatta in Tunisia.

Last year at the Africa championships in Tunisia, it was in the 2,000m women single sculls event that Noble qualified for this year's Olympics. This was after she finished fourth with a time of 8:25.87.

While the winner beat Noble by four seconds. Yet, the best Olympics records over the same 2,000m distance are between 5.5 to 7.5 minutes by the winner. That should be Noble's target heading to Paris.

Uganda: Ultimate Guide to Uganda's Olympic Team in Paris

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