Brussels’ show impresses Nanyondo, Chelimo

Oscar Chelimo still wants to do more. PHOTO/COURTSEY 

What you need to know:

Middle-distance runner Nanyondo’s patience for a time under four minutes over the 1500m distance despite coming home in seventh place.


Ugandan runners Winnie Nanyondo and Oscar Chelimo each departed Belgian capital Brussels with varying levels of content after the Brussels Diamond League (DL) Meeting.


Middle-distance runner Nanyondo’s patience for a time under four minutes over the 1500m distance despite coming home in seventh place on Friday night.


“Very good. I am very happy,” the season runner said after posting a season best time of three minutes and 59.91 seconds at the King Baudouin Stadium.


To dip under four minutes, Nanyondo had run the outdoor 1500m race 11 times prior including disappointing displays at the Oregon World Championships in the USA and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in the UK.


She however kept insisting that a good time would come, though few believed it. A sub-3:59 came at the tail-end of the season after an overall total of 20 races both indoor and outdoor.


The 2014 Commonwealth 800m bronze medallist Nanyondo can now start her preparations for the Budapest World Championships set for Hungary next August.


And while Nanyondo will wait for a confirmation to compete in the DL final in Zurich, Switzerland later this week, Chelimo will be satisfied with a strong finish to his season after impressing at the Brussels Diamond League (DL).


The budding long-distance running star also took a distant seventh-place finish over the 5000m but his customary strong end to the race delivered a personal best (PB).


Bronze medallist at the Oregon World Championships in USA back in July, Chelimo had wanted to dip under 13 minutes but he instead clocked 13:00.42 after working hard in the second half of the 12-and-a-half lap race.


“It’s a great performance but can be improved in the future,” his coach Guiseppe Giambrone said.


It could have been a faster time but Chelimo, clad in white and black, seemed to have been way off the pace at midway stage after pace setters Frenchman Mounir Akbache, and Kenyans Wilberforce Kones and Emmanuel Kiprop had pulled the field away.


Kiprop took the pack through 2000m at 5:07.15 but as he fell off, it was Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha who led through 3000m at 7:41.74.


Here, Chelimo was still working his way into the top 10 yet a pack of four comprising Kejelcha, world silver medallist Kenyan Jacob Krop, Daniel Ebenyo and American Grant Fisher would later break away with four laps left.


Krop produced 61.37 seconds on the penultimate lap with Fisher on his back before winning with a world lead time of 12:45.71.


BRUSSELS DIAMOND LEAGUE RESULTS

WOMEN’S 1500M

1 Ciara Mageean (IRL) 3:56.63

2 Laura Muir (GBR) 3:56.86

3 Freweyni Hailu (ETH) 3:56.94

4 Diribe Welteji (ETH) 3:57.82

5 Heather Maclean (USA) 3:58.76

6 Elise Cranny (USA) 3:59.61

7 Winnie Nanyondo (UGA) 3:59.91

MEN’S 5000M

1 Jacob Krop (KEN) 12:45.71

2 Grant Fisher (USA) 12:46.96

3 Nicholas Kipkorir (KEN) 12:50.97

4 Domnic Lobalu (SSD) 12:52.15

5 Daniel Ebenyo (KEN) 12:54.90

6 Stewart McSweyn (AUS) 12:56.50

7 Oscar Chelimo (UGA) 13:00.42


CHELIMO AT A GLANCE

Date of Birth: Dec 12, 2001

Age: 20

Major Event: 5000m

Personal Best: 13:06.79

Major Honours: 2022 World 5000m bronze, 2019 World Cross-country junior bronze

Coach: Guiseppe Giambrone

Management: Rosa Associati


CHELIMO ON TRACK IN 2022 (5000M)

May 22: Castiglione Meeting (3rd, 13:11.16)

Jul 21: Oregon Worlds (1st, 13:24.24)

Jul 24: Oregon Worlds (3rd, 13:10.20)