National record consoles Nakaayi, Nanyondo eyes London win


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Halimah Nakaayi was not impressed after she finished far away from the podium after the women’s 800m race at Friday night’s Monaco Diamond League Meeting in France.

But the world 800m champion consoled herself with her impressive time she posted. Despite finishing a distant seventh, Nakaayi beat her national record (NR) time by a microsecond.

She lowered it to one minute and 58.03 seconds to erase the 1:58.04 time she had set while winning the two-lap final at the Doha World Championships in Qatar. “I have to accept the results and I am sure I can do better than that,” she said.

However, it means that Nakaayi has been able to lower her season-best in all her four races this season.

Nakaayi would have done better than seventh but in the final 300m, she was obstructed by eventual winner Briton Laura Muir in lane 1.

When the front five-man group disintegrated after the final corner, Muir won in a time of 1:56.73.

Nakaayi’s coach Addy Ruiter believes she will be good by the time the Tokyo Olympics come in under a fortnight.

“She needs some extra speed so it will be easier for her in Tokyo to be more in front of the field after 200m."

But everything is (moving) according to plan and there are no pacers in Tokyo and it will be much more tactical,” said Ruiter.

“It will be exciting in Tokyo, the level is much higher than in Doha,” added Dutchman Ruiter.

Meanwhile, Nakaayi’s counterpart Winnie Nanyondo came fourth over the 1500m in Monaco but she hopes to even do better over the mile at the London Diamond League on Tuesday night.

“Not much, just a personal best (PB) and top three,” Nanyondo said of her target at Gateshead. Her PB over the mile distance is 4:18.65 set at the Monaco DL last year and it also the NR.

Nanyondo’s time is the fastest in the field of 16 but she will have to watch out for competition from in-form American Kate Grace and Jessica Judd who leads five homegirls.
 

MONACO DIAMOND LEAGUE RESULTS


WOMEN’S 800M


1 Laura Muir (GBR) 1:56.73

2 Jemma Reekie (GBR) 1:56.96

3 Kate Grace (USA) 1:57.20

7 Halimah Nakaayi (UGA) 1:58.03
 

WOMEN’S 1500M


1 Faith Kipyegon (KEN) 3:51.07

2 Sifan Hassan (NED) 3:53.60

3 Freweyni Hailu (ETH) 3:56.28

4 Winnie Nanyondo (UGA) 4:01.18
 

NAKAAYI IN 2021


Jul 9: Monaco DL (800m 7th, 1:58.03)
Jul 1: Bislett Games (800m 2nd, 1:58.70)
Jun 19: Meeting Lyonnais (800m 2nd, 2:00.62)
Jun 6: FBK Games (800m 6th, 2:02.52)

NANYONDO IN 2021

Jul 9: Monaco DL (1500m 4th, 4:01.18)
Jul 5: Meeting Nancy (800m 3rd, 2:00.95)
Jun 13: La Nucia (1500m 1st, 4:27.54)
Jun 10: Rome DL (1500m 5th, 4:00.84)
May 28: Doha DL (800m 6th, 2:01.76)
May 23: Gateshead DL (1500m 7th, 4:10.50)
May 19: Ostrava Spike (1500m 7th, 4:08.44)
 
This writer is a global broadcaster and as well, a scribe with Daily Monitor Newspaper and sports presenter with Radio One FM 90 in Kampala. Follow him on Twitter: @AllanDarren and his Facebook Page: Darren Allan Kyeyune
 

Published: 07/14/2021