Uganda’s Olympic contingent is set for a busy day at the Paris 2024 Olympics, with nine athletes in action on Friday, August 2. The day’s events kick off at 11 am with Jesse Ssengonzi competing in the Men’s 100m butterfly. The 21-year-old swimmer aims to make a splash and set a new personal best on the Olympic stage.
Shortly after, at 11:06 am, Kathleen Grace Noble will make history as she rows in the Women’s Single Sculls Final E, marking her final Olympic appearance. Noble, the first Ugandan to compete in rowing at the Olympics, has already made a mark with a fifth-place finish in Heat 1 and a third-place finish in Repechage 3.
The track events begin at 6:10 pm with the Women’s 5000m Round 1, featuring Joy Cheptoyek, Belinda Chemutai, and Esther Chebet. Chebet, a bronze medalist at the 2024 Africa Championships, aims to advance to the finals, while Cheptoyek and Chemutai will push for a place in the next round and potentially contend for medals.
At 7:45 pm, Halimah Nakaayi, the 2019 world champion in the Women’s 800m, will compete in Round 1. Nakaayi recently set a new national and personal best record of 1:57.26 at the London Diamond League, making her one of Uganda’s best hopes for a medal.
The highlight of the day will be the Men’s 10,000m final at 9:20 pm, featuring Joshua Cheptegei, Jacob Kiplimo, and Martin Magengo Kiprotich. Cheptegei, the world record holder in both the 5000m and 10,000m events, leads the charge alongside Kiplimo, the bronze medalist in the 10,000m at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and Kiprotich, who adds depth to Uganda’s lineup.
Uganda’s athletes have won a total of 11 medals since the country’s Olympic debut in 1956, with all four gold medals coming from athletics. Legendary figures like John Akii-Bua and Stephen Kiprotich have paved the way for recent medalists like Peruth Chemutai and Joshua Cheptegei.
