The Uganda Senior Women’s team was crowned Bronze medalists on Saturday in the World Cross Country Championships in Guiyang, China behind second placed Kenya and leaders Ethiopia.
Team Uganda made 101 points, 84 points off the winners Ethiopia. Kenya came second with 19 and it was just a two point gap that separated them from Ethiopia at 17.
Juliet Chekwel finished 18th with a record time of 27:40, Nyakisi Adero followed in 24th position with 28:31. Patricia Chepkwemoi came 30th in 28:51, while Emily Chebet made the 33rd position 28:55.
Women’s Junior Race Final
In the first event that saw the Junior women category get underway, Uganda’s Stellah Chesang made 11th position in 20 minutes and 37 seconds.
Racheal Zena Chebet, Janat Chemusto and Doreen Chemutai finished 17th, 18th and 19th in 21:01, 21:10 and 21:18 respectively. Mercyline Chelangat came last on that Ugandan team in 26th position in 21:43 seconds.
Uganda finished fourth with 65 points in this particular category.
Men’s Junior Race Final
Fred Musobo finished 9th (Uganda’s second best individual performance in the competition) in 24:10 as Joshua Kirui Cheptegei crossed just one second later with the same time as Kenya’s Rogers Chumo.
Robert Chemonges of Uganda reached the tape 1 minute and 14 seconds later in 26th position with Mande Busendich 4 places close 25:31 seconds. Countryman Abel Chebet chased closely and came 32nd in 25:35 seconds.
Uganda came 5th in this category with 76 points behind fourth placed Bahrain.
Women’s Senior Race Final
Juliet Chekwel made Uganda’s best position in this category when she finished 17th in 27:40 and Nyakasi Adero was not far as the runner earned 24th position in 28:31 seconds.
Patricia Chepkwemoi came 30th in 28:51, while Emily Chebet made the 33rd position 28:55.
Men’s Senior Race Final
Moses Kibet finished 8th (Uganda’s best individual performance in the whole competition) in 35:53 seconds. Timothy Torotich made 37:02 seconds while Godfrey Kusuro came in 32nd in 37:20.
Uganda’s higly rated runner Moses Kipsiro pulled out of the event after receiving death threats supposedly sent by coach Peter Wemali, whom he exposed for allegedly sexually harassing junior female runners during the Africa Cross-Country Championships training camp in Bukwo last year.
Uganda finished 5th overall in the medal standings as Ethiopia prevailed over second placed Kenya, Bahrain and Eritrea in fourth.
The next edition of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships will be held in Kampala, Uganda in 2017.
