Medal hopeful Sugira powers into 1500m final

1500m preliminary round 1. Gilbert Kwemoi (Ken) 3:45.21 PB 2. Ismail Ibrahim Mohamed (Som) 3:47.06 PB 3. James Sugira (Rwa) 3:47.28 PB PROMISING ATHLETE James Sugira registered a personal best in the 1500m preliminary round to book a place in Sunday’s final at the ongoing Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China. Sugira finished third in heat two after clocking three minutes, forty seven seconds and twenty eight micro seconds. Kenyan Gilbert Kwemoi and Somalian Ismail Ibrahim Mohammed finished first and second, respectively. Other athletes who qualified to the final include; Baptiste Mischler from France, Sudanese Adam Abdelwahab, Burundian Rodrigue Biziyaremye, Indian Saroj Ajay Kumar, Mostafa Smaili from Morocco, and Asefa Mulugeta from Ethiopia. Speaking to Saturday Sport yesterday from Nanjing, Sugira said: “I had a fine race in the heat stages and I am glad to reach the final. I now know my rivals and hopeful I will work closely with my coach to ensure that I finish in the medal positions on Sunday.” Women cyclists were also in competition on Friday morning in the road race in Laoshan Road Cycling Course. Rwanda’s Clementine Niyonsaba and Benitha Uwamariya finished a distant 44th and 45th after clocking 1:22:05 and 1:22:07, respectively, in a race where 55 riders reached the finish line while six abandoned the race. By press time, the girls’ beach volleyball pair of Lea Uwimbabazi and Seraphine Mukantambara was due to play Argentina Verasio and Hiruela, while Elias Ndagano and Sylvestre Ndayisabye were set to face Polish pair of Kmiecik and Macura in the boys’ category.

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Medal hopeful Sugira powers into 1500m final