AFTER ending 2016 in style, teenage athlete Salome Nyirarukundo is set to make 2017 her most successful year. Nyirarukundo won a bronze medal at the 27th edition of Silvesterlauf, a New Year’s Eve race held in the southwestern German city of Trier on Saturday.

The 19-year-old together with compatriot Jean Marie Vianney Myasiro became the first Rwandans to compete at the one-day road race that is staged every December 31. The race attracts the best German runners, international athletes, hobby athletes, and senior citizens to celebrate the conclusion of the year.

Over 2000 athletes graced the event that was comprised of two categories; the women (5km) and men (8km).

Nyirarukundo, who had a very successful season, wrapped up 2016 in style finishing third in the women’s race after using a total of 16 minutes and 14 seconds, and in her own words, she has now turned her focus on making 2017 "more successful.”

"I am very happy for this medal. I wanted to end the year on a high and start 2017 with silverware, I could have actually won the whole race but the weather was very cold and it really affected me,” Nyirarukundo told Times Sport from Trier.

The Rutsiro-born athlete debuted at last year’s Africa Senior Athletics Championship and Rio Olympic Games. She was also the only Rwandan who scooped a podium finish (silver medal) at the 2015 Kigali International Peace Half Marathon and was named Rwanda’s female athlete of the year.

Nyirarukundo won the award with 1168 points followed by 18-year-old Beatha Nishimwe, who collected 1142 points while Honorine Iribagiza, 17, came in third place with 1118 points.

"I hope 2017 will be more successful. I want to win more international competitions and surpass what I achieved in 2016, which has been my breakthrough year,” she noted.

In October, last year, Nyirarukundo became the first Rwandan athlete to win the Dar-es-Salaam Rotary Half Marathon gold medal for two consecutive years—after also winning in 2015.

Meanwhile, Myasiro failed to hit his target after he finished in the sixth place in the men’s 8km race after clocking 23 minutes and 24 seconds.  The duo is expected to return to the country today.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw