Uganda presents first sprinter at World Champs in 21st century

Over the last two decades, Uganda’s presence has been pretty scanty in sprints with no representative at the Worlds Championships or Olympic Games.
 
Shida Leni has opted to carry and will on Monday night end that 22-year wait when she lines-up for the 400m round 1 Heats at the Doha Worlds in Qatar.
 
“I feel good,” she stated. Leni is the first sprinter at the Worlds stage since Davis Kamoga won 400m silver behind legendary American Michael Johnson at the 1997 Championships in Greek Athens.
 
The last female sprinter at the Worlds is Grace Birungi who stopped in the 400m semifinal Heats at the 1995 Gothenburg show in Sweden.
 
Now Leni may not be a medal prospect but she will be at the Khalifa Stadium, hoping to move another step up the 400m ladder.
 
“My target is to run a new PB and advance to the next round,” she said. 
 
The 25-year-old is buoyed by winning a bronze medal after running the last leg of the 4 X 400m final for Uganda at the African Games in Morocco last month.
 
She also won bronze at the World University Games in Napoli, Italy back in July. Leni’s growth is evidenced by the eight national records she has broken over the 200m and 400m in the last 19 months. She has done this seven times over the lap.


 

LENI QUICK NOTES

Date of birth: May 22, 1994
Main Event: 400m
Worlds’ Appearance: 1st (2019)
Personal Best: 51.47
 

AT CHAMPIONSHIPS

2019 African Games: 6th (52.47)
2019 Universaide: 2nd (51.64)
2018 Africa Seniors: 6th (52.78)
2018 Commonwealth Games: 22nd, sf Heats (54.50)
2017 Universaide: 11th, sf Heats (53.44)
2016 Islamic Games: 5th (54.57)
2016 Africa Seniors: 8th (53.91)
2015 African Games: 6th (52.86)
2015 Universaide: 11th, sf Heats (53.40)
2014 Commonwealth Games: 21st, sf Heats (54.30)
 
This writer is a global broadcaster and as well 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
 


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