Uganda’s historic female rower Grace Kathleen Noble had her most outstanding performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in Japan, Friday 30th July 2021 on Sea Forest Waterway.
Kathleen clocked 8:07:00 in her fourth race at the Olympic during the women’s single sculls Final E to second place, improving her first race time by 14 seconds and 85 micro seconds.
The 26 year old rower who is based in the United States of America (USA) was just 7 seconds and 22 micro seconds behind the winner during the competitive race.
During her very first race, she clocked 8:21:85 to book a slot in the Repechage where she made it with 8:36:01 in the progression race to qualify for the E/F semi-finals.
In the semi-final, she made it in the second place with 8:31:67 to qualify for the final slot.
The performance in the Final E earned her a respectable 26th slot overall and by far, Africa’s second best female rower.
Kathleen became the first ever rower from Uganda and East Africa to participate in the Olympic Games with her personal best standing at 7:52.
Qatar rower Tala Abujbara, 29, won the Final E race with 8:00:22.
23 year old Nicaragua’s Evidelia Gonzalez Jarquin came third with a timing of 8:10:87 while Joan Poh, 30, from Singapore was fourth with 8:21:23.
French born Moroccoan Sarah Juliette Saidi Fraincart, the second youngest in the race at 22 years finished fifth with a time of 8:25:38 and Nigerian Esther Tamaraebi Toko, 21, came last with 8:42:78.
Meanwhile, the Final D was won by 44 year old Felice Chow from Trindad and Tobago’s Chow (7:48:06).
Chinese Taipei’s Yi-Ting Huang, 31, came second with a timing of 7:52:18 as 24 year old Alejandra Alonso from Paraguay clocked 7:55:63 to finish third.
congs lower, Uganda is blessed to have you put us upfront.