If you look around, Winnie Nanyondo stands out as the most in-form runner ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Glagsow starting next week.
On Friday night, the middle-distance runner gave warning signs of potency after she took a third-place finish after the women’s 800m race during the IAAF Diamond League (DL) Meet in French city of Monaco.
The 20-year-old clocked 1 minute and 58.63 seconds at the Stade Louis II to not only set a third successive personal best time in a space of six weeks but also, the feat erased Annet Negesa’s previous record of 1:59.08 set in Hengelo two years ago.
“I believe that with the training I have had over the past two months, I have huge chances of a medal in Glasgow,” she said.
Starting in lane 4, the runner clad in a green and black bib had poor onset but was third halfway the race inside 58 seconds. A few metres into the final 300m, she descended to fifth but charged back to third as they approached the final 200m.
And as her vividly weary legs tried to hold off 2008 Olympic silver medalist Janeth Jepkosgei (1:58.70) in the final home stretch, American champion Wilson Ajee pulled away from reigning World champion Eunice Sum to win a new world lead time of 1:57.67.
Sum finished second in a season’s best 1:57.92 – her third straight season’s best on the year.
Two other African national records were set on the night by Djibouti’s Ayanleh Souleiman (3:29.58) and Ethiopian Aman Wote (3:29.91) who took fourth and sixth-place finishes in the men’s 1500m.
IAAF DIAMOND LEAGUE – MONACO
WOMEN’S 800M RESULT
1. Wilson Ajee (USA) 1:57.67
2. Eunice Sum (KEN) 1:57.92
3. Winnie Nanyondo (UGA) 1:58.63
4. Janeth Jepkosgei (KEN) 1:58.70
WINNIE NANYONDO
Date of birth: August 23, 1993
Major races: 800m, 1500m
Personal best: 1:58.63 (800m), 4:22.62 (1500m)
Honours: 2014 World University Cross-Country (Gold), 2014 National 400m champion