Halimah Nakaayi strode into history tonight by winning Uganda gold in the women’s 800 meters at the Doha World Athletics Championships.
Nakaayi clocked one minute 58 seconds to also take the $60,000 (sh218m) winner’s prize.
This is Uganda’s first middle distance medal at track and field’s biggest event. She also becomes only the second woman after Dorcus Inzikuru to emerge champion at the biennial event.
Inzikuru won gold in the steeplechase in the 2005 edition in Helsinki.
Winnie Nanyondo the other Ugandan in the final finished fourth earning $15,000 (sh54.7m)
Nakaayi moved in the front pack early and this time did not allow to be boxed in the inner lane like was the case in the semi-final.
Nakaayi (R) celebrates with Uganda’s Winnie Nanyondo after winning in the Women’s 800m final
Nakaayi (L) celebrates with Uganda’s Winnie Nanyondo after winning in the Women’s 800m final
It was thereafter all celebration as Nakaayi and Nanyondo danced and yelled themselves hoarse.
In an earlier women’s steeplechase final Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai finished fifth. Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech opened up long gap right from the gun to the finish to take $60,000 (sh218m) winners prize.
Nanyondo and Nakaayi came to Doha enjoying the best form of their careers.
This form was very evident as the championship got underway last week. While Nakaayi won her semi-final Nanyondo was second.
Nanyondo had in the build-up to Doha twice broken the 1500 national record. This was shortly after her three national 800, 1000 and mile indoor records.
Nakaayi had also the previous season set 1:58.39 national record in the 800m before also registering a new 2:34.88 mark in the mile.
Nakaayi then underlined her intentions of winning a medal in Doha with an All Africa Games bronze in Rabat, Morocco.
Nakaayi (R) celebrates and dances with Uganda’s Winnie Nanyondo
Nakaayi celebrates after winning in the Women’s 800m final
This is the closest to the sprints a Ugandan medalist has got since Dorcus Inzikuru won steeplechase gold in Helsinki in 2005.
Davis Kamoga a silver medalist at the Athens 1997 edition is the only Ugandan sprinter to have won a medal at the championships.
Uganda’s other medalists have all been in the long distance.
Nakaayi celebrates as she crosses the finish line
Moses Kipsiro won bronze in Osaka 2007, Stephen Kiprotich won gold in the marathon in 2013 in Moscow while Solomon Mutai won bronze in the same event in Beijing in 2015.
Going to Doha, Joshua Cheptegei, a silver medalist in London in 2017, was the last Ugandan medalist.
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