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Leni aims to gain ground in unchartered territory
Work In Progress. Leni itches etch her name into history books further. PHOTO: I. KEZAALA
Uganda last had a sprinter at the IAAF World Athletics Championships when Davis Kamoga took silver behind legendary American Michael Johnson with a National Record (NR) of 44.37 seconds at the 400m final in Greek capital Athens on August 5, 1997.
Finally, the long wait is over! Some 8,091 days later, Shida Leni will end that lull when she debuts at the Worlds in the women’s 400m preliminary Heats at the Khalifa International Stadium tomorrow evening.
“I feel good on breaking that barrier and I wish can do great things,” Leni told Sunday Monitor.
She becomes the first female sprinter at the Worlds since Grace Birungi finished fifth at the 400m Heat 2 with 53.92 at the Gothenburg 1995 edition in Sweden.
It has been a long route for the 25-year-old. Over the last 19 months, Leni re-set the NR over the lap distance seven times, in the process qualifying for the Doha Worlds with 51.55 in Namboole on June 22.
In the 400m last year, Leni made the semifinals at the Commonwealth Games in Australia and took sixth place at the Africa Senior Championships in Nigeria.
A fortnight after winning 400m silver at the World University Games in Napoli, Italy, she did a new NR again to claim the 400m national title a day before breaking Justine Bayiga’s 12-year 200m NR in July. Her expectations did not come to pass as she finished sixth in the 400m final at the African Games in Morocco over a month back.
“I had promised myself to get a medal but at last, I was disappointed with a hamstring in the left leg so it was a painful moment in my life.”
Leni however did not leave Rabat empty handed. She ran the last leg as Uganda broke a 32-year NR with bronze over the women’s 4 X 400m relay.
Now with help from coaches Abdallah Muhammed and Paul Okello, her aim here is to take it a notch higher than her personal best (PB) and NR of 51.47. “My target is to run a new PB and advance to the next round,” she said.
Leni arrived here on Wednesday and her body will have been soaked into the humid weather for six days before she runs.
“I don’t think it will affect my body. It’s hot outside but the hotel rooms are cool,” she added from the team’s residence at Ezdan Hotel.
Olympic champion Bahamian Shaunae Miller-Uibo, in-form Bahraini Salwa Eid Naser and American Shakima Wimbley will lead the quest of those seeking to unseat 2017 World champion American Phyllis Francis.
