Uganda’s leading 800m runner Winnie Nanyondo missed her race in Italy that was due Sunday.
The Commonwealth bronze medalist skipped the two-lap race, only two days after taking part in the final leg of the IAAF Diamond League in Brussels on Friday.
“Her body is not in the best shape,” her coach Raphael Kasajja disclosed to Kawowo Sports.
“Since the Glasgow Games, she has struggled with malaria. For about three weeks, she was down with low sugar levels and she could hardly perform at two events in a space of three days,” Kasajja said.
Nanyondo’s illness took out a lot from her. On Friday night, she was far from impressing as she finished last in the women’s 800m race in two minutes and 3.92 seconds at the King Baudouin Stadium.
Clad in a blue bib, the national record holder lacked any spark as started from lane one. She hardly competed with her familiar foes to an extent that by halfway the race, Nanyondo at the back of the pack.
Even her usual final kick did not come to the fore as they approached the final 200m. She ended up in tenth as American Brenda Martinez took the victory in a personal best time of 1:58.84.
Scot Lynsey Sharp, who beat Nanyondo to silver in Glasgow, came second and clocked a similar time of 1:58.94 with World and Commonwealth champion Eunice Sum, who took third place.
Kenyan Sum finished the year’s 800m Diamond race winner overall with 22 points, Martinez had nine, one greater than Sharp and two ahead of American Wilson Ajee and Nanyondo finished joint-fifth with Ethiopia Assefa Tigist on just a point.
Despite beating South African rival Andre Olivier, Ronald Musagala missed the 1000m national record by 0.01 seconds after he posted 2:17.11 to finish fifth in the two-and-a-half lap race.
Instead, race winner Polish Adam Kszczot (2:15.72) and Ethiopian Mohammed Aman (2:15.75) each set a new national record. Another Polish Marcin Lewandoski (2:15.79) came third while Kenyan Ferguson Rotich (2:16.88) was fourth.
IAAF DIAMOND LEAGUE – BRUSSELS
WOMEN’S 800M
1. Brenda Martinez (USA) 1:58.84
2. Lynsey Sharp (GBR) 1:58.94
3. Eunice Sum (KEN) 1:58.94
10. Winnie Nanyondo (UGA) 2:03.92
MEN’S 1000M
1. Adam Kszczot (POL) 2:15.72
2. Mohammed Aman (ETH) 2:15.75