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Emong’s Paralympic chances in jeopardy
Emong is unlikely to make it to Paris 2024. PHOTO/COURTSEY
What you need to know:
Uganda’s 2017 World Champion David Emong posted another forgettable performance finishing a distant ninth. Arguably his poorest performance if you ignore his disqualification in Dubai 2019.
Bulgaria’s Hristiyan Stoyanov and Australia’s Michael Roeger replicated their 2019 performances by finishing first and second respectively at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championship in Paris.
But Uganda’s 2017 World Champion David Emong posted another forgettable performance finishing a distant ninth. Arguably his poorest performance if you ignore his disqualification in Dubai 2019.
Stoyanov, who took bronze when Emong won in London 2017, crossed the tape at Paris’s Charlety Stadium in 3:52.56 minutes to bag the 1500m T46 gold.
Roeger, who collided with Emong and led to his disqualification in Dubai 2019, took silver in 3:53.89 minutes. Tunisia’s Bechir Agoubi took bronze in 3:57.77 minutes, becoming the first African in the 1500m T46 podium since Emong in 2017.
Emong, a 2016 Paralympic silver medallist, ran the in 4:05.90 minutes, way slower than the 3:53.51 minutes that fetched him Paralympic bronze in Tokyo in 2021.
That time is within the Minimum Entry Standard of 4:20.00 minutes but Emong, who has appeared in three Paralympic Games since London 2012 will need a much better performance elsewhere to enhance his chances of returning to the Paris for the Paralympic Games next year.
The same applies to his former nemesis and multiple Paralympic and World champion Samir Nouioua of Algeria, who finished eighth in 4:04.40 minutes.
The permutations
Only the three medallists will qualify for the Paralympics directly. The others will be ranked according to their performances, and out of which the best eight in the world by the end of April 2024 will make it to the Paris 2024 Games.
The outside chance is a slot given to the National Paralympic Committee which has not qualified a single athlete to the Games.
1500m T46 RESULTS
1. Hristiyan Stoyanov (Bulgaria), 3:52.56min
2. Micheal Roeger (Australia), 3:53.89min
3. Bechir Agoubi (Tunisia), 3:57.77min
9. David Emong (Uganda), 4:05.90min
