Charles Kagimu has made history by becoming the first Ugandan cyclist to complete a road race at the Olympics.
Competing in the men’s road race at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Kagimu finished 77th out of 90 riders, clocking a time of 6 hours, 50 minutes, and 49 seconds.
The 25-year-old cyclist’s primary target was to complete the grueling 273km race, a feat he accomplished despite 13 competitors failing to finish.
The race, which began at 12 PM on the iconic Pont d’Iéna bridge in the heart of Paris featured 13 categorised climbs and a total elevation gain of 2,800 meters.
Belgian Remco Evenepoel emerged as the winner with a time of 6:19:34, followed by French cyclists Valentin Madouas and Christophe Laporte, who took silver and bronze respectively.
Kagimu’s participation in the Olympics marks the first time Uganda has been represented in the cycling road race since 1984, when Ernest Buule and Muharud Mukasa competed at the Los Angeles Games.
The cyclist was one of Uganda’s flag carriers at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony on July 26, together with swimmer, Gloria Muzito.
He suffered a viral infection shortly after the opening ceremony, but ecovered in time to take part in the race.
Kagimu had an impressive career leading up to these Olympics; in 2023, he won the gold medal in the Individual Time Trial at the African Road Championships, marking Uganda’s first gold in cycling at the African Games.
That same year, he represented Uganda at the UCI Road World Championships in Glasgow, although he did not finish the race.
His completion of the Olympic road race in Paris is not just a personal triumph but a significant milestone for Ugandan cycling, and inspires future generations of athletes.
