Uganda at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Uganda competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. Since the nation's official debut in 1956, Ugandan athletes have appeared in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games, with the exception of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal because of its partial support of the African boycott.

Uganda at the
2016 Summer Olympics
IOC codeUGA
NOCUganda Olympic Committee
Websitewww.nocuganda.com
in Rio de Janeiro
Competitors21 in 3 sports
Flag bearer Joshua Tibatemwa[1]
Medals
Gold
0
Silver
0
Bronze
0
Total
0
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)

The Uganda Olympic Committee fielded a team of 21 athletes, 14 men and 7 women, to compete only in athletics, boxing, and swimming at the games.[2][3] It was the nation's largest delegation sent to the Olympics since 1988, eclipsing the record of 15 athletes who attended the London games four years earlier. About 80 percent of Uganda's full roster competed in athletics, particularly those who specialized in long-distance running and the marathon.

The Ugandan roster featured six returning Olympians, although only four of them competed in London in 2012: defending marathon champion Stephen Kiprotich, swimmer Jamila Lunkuse, and the steeplechase tandem of Jacob Araptany and Benjamin Kiplagat, who headed to his third games as the most experienced member. Meanwhile, Sweden-based boxers Ronald Serugo (men's flyweight) and Kennedy Katende (men's light heavyweight) staged their Olympic comeback in Rio de Janeiro after eight years of absence.[4]

Other notable athletes on the Ugandan team were Solomon Mutai who won a bronze medal in the men's marathon at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing; 15-year-old distance runner Jacob Kiplimo (men's 5000 metres); and US-based freestyle swimmer Joshua Tibatemwa, who was the nation's flag bearer in the opening ceremony.[5]

Uganda, however, left Rio de Janeiro without a medal, in contrast to the previous Games. Distance runner Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei produced the most successful outcome for Uganda, finishing eighth in the men's 5,000 metres and sixth with a personal best in the men's 10,000 metres.[6] The nation's most celebrated athlete, Kiprotich, failed to retain his marathon title, slipping to a fourteenth-place finish in Rio de Janeiro.[7]

Athletics
Main articles: Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics and Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Qualification

Ugandan athletes achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event):[8][9]

A total of 17 athletes (11 men and 6 women), highlighted by defending Olympic marathon champion Kiprotich, were named as part of Uganda's official team announcement for the Games on 15 July 2016.[2]

Key
  • Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only
  • Q = Qualified for the next round
  • q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or, in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target
  • PB = Personal best
  • SB = Season's best
  • NR = National record
  • N/A = Round not applicable for the event
  • Bye = Athlete not required to compete in round
Track & road events
Men
Athlete Event Heat Semifinal Final
Result Rank Result Rank Result Rank
Ronald Musagala 1500 m 3:38.45 4 Q 3:40.37 5 Q 3:51.68 11
Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei 5000 m 13:25.70 4 Q — 13:09.17 8
Jacob Kiplimo 13:30.40 11 — Did not advance
Phillip Kipyego 13:24.66 SB 11 — Did not advance
Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei 10000 m — 27:10.06 PB 6
Moses Kurong — 28:03.38 22
Timothy Toroitich — 28:04.84 23
Jacob Araptany 3000 m steeplechase 8:21.53 2 Q — DNF
Benjamin Kiplagat 8:30.76 6 — Did not advance
Jackson Kiprop Marathon — 2:22:09 80
Stephen Kiprotich — 2:13:32 14
Solomon Mutai — 2:11:49 8
Women
Athlete Event Heat Semifinal Final
Result Rank Result Rank Result Rank
Halimah Nakaayi 800 m 1:59.78 PB 5 q 2:00.63 6 Did not advance
Winnie Nanyondo 2:02.77 6 Did not advance
Juliet Chekwel 5000 m 15:29.07 9 — Did not advance
Stella Chesang 15:49.80 13 — Did not advance
Juliet Chekwel 10000 m — DNF
Peruth Chemutai 3000 m steeplechase 9:31.03 PB 7 — Did not advance
Nyakisi Adero Marathon — 2:42:39 68

Boxing
Main articles: Boxing at the 2016 Summer Olympics and Boxing at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Qualification

Uganda entered two boxers to compete in each of the following weight classes in the Olympic boxing tournament. 2008 Olympians Ronald Serugo and Kennedy Katende, who previously competed for Sweden, had claimed Olympic spots as a result of their box-off triumphs at the 2016 African Qualification Tournament in Yaoundé, Cameroon.[10]

Athlete Event Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Final
Opposition
Result		 Opposition
Result		 Opposition
Result		 Opposition
Result		 Opposition
Result		 Rank
Ronald Serugo Men's flyweight  Abgaryan (ARM)
L 1–2		 Did not advance
Kennedy Katende Men's light heavyweight  Buatsi (GBR)
L TKO		 Did not advance

Swimming
Main article: Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Uganda received a Universality invitation from FINA to send two swimmers (one male and one female) to the Olympics.[2][11][12]

Athlete Event Heat Semifinal Final
Time Rank Time Rank Time Rank
Joshua Tibatemwa Men's 50 m freestyle 25.98 64 Did not advance
Jamila Lunkuse Women's 100 m breaststroke 1:19.64 40 Did not advance

References
  1. "Rio 2016 Opening Ceremony – Flag Bearers" (PDF). International Olympic Committee. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  2. Bakama, James (15 July 2016). "Uganda's team to the Rio 2016 Olympics". New Visionv. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  3. Kawaru, Frankie (5 August 2016). "Who are Uganda's Athletes at the 2016 Rio Olympics?". Kawowo Sports. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  4. Mugalu, Moses (3 August 2016). "Olympics: Boxing chief stakes land for medals". Uganda: The Observer. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  5. Sutherland, James (5 August 2016). "22 Swimmers To Bear Their Nations Flag at the Opening Ceremonies". SwimSwam. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  6. "Rio 2016 Olympics: Joshua Cheptegei finishes 6th in the men 10,000m". Newz Post. 13 August 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  7. Kyeyune, Darren Allen (22 August 2016). "Kiprotich fails to defend Olympic marathon title". Daily Monitor. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  8. "iaaf.org – Top Lists". IAAF. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  9. "IAAF Games of the XXX Olympiad – Rio 2016 Entry Standards" (PDF). IAAF. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  10. "Tense box-offs and thrilling gold-medal matches on penultimate day to remember of African Olympic Qualifying". AIBA. 19 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  11. "Swimming World Rankings". FINA. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  12. "Rio 2016 – FINA Swimming Qualification System" (PDF). Rio 2016. FINA. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.