Uganda’s contingent at the Paris 2024 Olympics is gearing up for a significant day of competition tomorrow, Friday, August 2, with nine athletes across three disciplines set to complete.
The athletes completing tomorrow will include Jesse Ssengonzi in the Men’s 100m butterfly, Kathleen Noble in the Women’s Single Sculls Final E, Joy Cheptoyek, Esther Chebet, and Belinda Chemutai in the Women’s 5000m, Halimah Nakaayi in the Women’s 800m, and Joshua Cheptegei, Jacob Kiplimo, and Martin Magengo Kiprotich in the Men’s 10,000m final.
The day will kick off with Jesse Ssengonzi diving into the pool for the Men’s 100m butterfly at 11 am. The 21-year old rising star in swimming, will be looking to make a splash and set a new personal best on the Olympic stage.
Shortly after, at 11:06 am, Kathleen Grace Noble will row in the Women’s Single Sculls Final E.
The rower made history as the first Ugandan to compete at the Olympics in the sport, and will retire from the sport after this race.
At this year’s Olympics, Noble started with a fifth-place finish in Heat 1 on Saturday, July 27, followed by a third-place finish in Repechage 3 with a time of 8:15.10 on Sunday.
She then secured a place in the Final E after finishing second in the E/F 2 semifinal with a time of 8:38.78.
The track events will begin with the Women’s 5000m Round 1 at 6:10pm, featuring Joy Cheptoyek, Belinda Chemutai, and Esther Chebet.
Esther Chebet, who clinched a bronze at the 2024 Africa Championships, will be aiming to advance to the finals.
Cheptoyek and Chemutai, both known for their strong performances in long distance running, will be pushing to secure a place in the next round and potentially contend for medals.
At 7:45pm, Halimah Nakaayi will compete in the Women’s 800m Round 1.
Nakaayi, who is the 2019 world champion in this event, recently set a new national and personal best record of 1:57.26 at the London Diamond League.
Her experience and recent form make her one of Uganda’s best hopes for a medal in these Games.
The highlight of the day for Uganda will be the Men’s 10,000m final at 9:20 pm featuring Joshua Cheptegei, Jacob Kiplimo and Martin Magengo Kiprotich.
Leading the charge will be Joshua Cheptegei, who is the world record holder in both the 5000m and 10,000m events, and is also the reigning Olympic champion in the 5000m.
Alongside him will be Jacob Kiplimo, the bronze medalist in the 10,000m at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the world record holder for the half marathon, and Martin Magengo Kiprotich, who will add depth to Uganda’s line-up in the event.
Uganda’s athletes have won with a total of 11 medals (4 Gold, 4 Silver, and 3 Bronze) since the country’s debut in 1956.
All the four Gold medals have been won in athletics, with legendary figures like John Akii-Bua, who won gold in the 400m hurdles in 1972, and Stephen Kiprotich, the marathon gold medalist in 2012.
More recently, Peruth Chemutai and Joshua Cheptegei made history by winning the gold in the Women’s 3000m steeplechase and Men’s 5,000 m events respectively at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
All the events in which Ugandans will be participating at the 2024 Paris Olympics will be broadcast live on NBS Sport, the channel that Champions Ugandan Sport.
