ENTEBBE – It is under the Ugandan heat that 42 women and 61 men ran to bring home the first World University Champion titles of the year 2014. On a demanding course, at an altitude of 1,200 meters and under the Ugandan sun, women had to run 4 laps of the 1,5km course designed on the Golf of Entebbe, making it 6 km while the men ran 7 laps for a total of 10.5 km.
Without surprise, from the beginning of the women’s race, the host country took the advantage while never letting it go. Winneie Nanyondo took the gold in 20:33.77 followed by her fellow countrywomen Dorcus Ajok (21:01,85) and Prim Twikiriza (21:06,14). For the team competitions, the two first places were easily attributed to Uganda, having held the three first places, and Japan, its three competitors arriving right after at the 4th, 5th and 6th places. For the third place Canada took the best on South Africa with a total of 38, placing a third continent on the podium.
In the men’s competition it was once again the host country which took the best in the individual event, Joshua Cheptegei (31:06.71) finished the race 6 seconds ahead of his first Kenyan opponent Daniel Muindi (31:12.79) after an intense battle throughout the race. The podium of the men’s individual race was then completed by another Kenyan athlete, Mark Lokwanamoi (32:33.26) finishing more than a minute behind his two opponents who were clearly too strong for him.
In the team ranking, it is here again with no surprise that Kenya, having placed its four best athletes between the second and fifth place, took the gold, with the host country coming second marking a total of 29 while Japan won its second medal of the day with the bronze and 47 points.
The Championship will be officially closed tonight during the closing ceremony organised at the Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel.
RESULTS
More info on the OC Website.
(Julien Buhajezuk, WUC Executive Assistant)
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