Nakaayi targets Olympic form

Halima Nakaayi, lest one forgets, is the reigning world 800m champion. But, she has had rather a quiet spell ever since she scooped that title with a national record time of 1:58.04 at the Doha World Championships on September 30, 2019.
 Nakaayi would have been a hotter cake had the Tokyo Olympics come last June. But her plans, which had begun with races on the World Indoor Tour, all vanished once the coronavirus pandemic took charge.
The start to this season has equally been tough for her because of a niggle which saw her sit a number of races at the regular Uganda Athletics Federation Trials in Namboole and consequently missing last Sunday’s Doha Diamond League in Qatar.

Nakaayi is however back to her feet and she will headline the women’s 800m line-up at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Meeting in Hengelo, Netherlands this evening.
“Nakaayi should start the season gradually, improving to Olympic Games like in 2019,” said her manager Jurrie van der Velden of Global Sports Communication.

Season bow 
But contrary to 2019 where Nakaayi had raced thrice by this stage, this is just her season bow on track.
 The Uganda Wildlife Authority club runner however piled up 14 races including a bronze medal at the African Games before sparkling in Doha. The Olympics come relatively two months earlier than the 2019 Worlds and on July 30, Nakaayi will be in for the 800m Heats come in Tokyo.
 So, the two-lap race today, where she faces tough British trio of Keely Hodgkinson, Laura Muir and Jemma Christina Reekie, is key in lighting up her flame.

Baby steps 
 “She needs some weeks before she is back on her level,” said her coach Addy Ruiter. “The race of Sunday (today) will help her but it is without expectation. But, she is fit again,” added Ruiter.  Nakaayi’s training partner Ronald Musagala will be in the fray for the 1500m event. 
He posted a season best of 3:35.99 a week ago in Doha but there is hope that he can gain momentum on a rather fast Hengelo track.

 “Musagala needs to ‘grow’ into the season. 3:35 was just a start, by the time the Olympics are there, he will have made some steps forward,” stated Jurrie.
 Then Mercyline Chelangat, who has had a long sabbatical, is back as a mother for her first race abroad in three years.
Chelangat, who took 10000m bronze at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, will attempt to beat the Olympic qualifying mark of 31:35.00 over the 25-lap race.

TODAY IN HENGELO
WORLD ATHLETICS CONTINENTAL TOUR GOLD
Event: FBK Hengelo Games
Venue: Fanny Blankers-Koen Stadion
City: Hengelo, Netherlands
Ugandans in Action: Halimah Nakaayi (800m), Ronald Musagala (1500m), Mercyline Chelangat (10000m)
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