Achola - 800M National Champion

Press release just in, 18.17 hrs (Ugandan time) 25 July 2009:

ACHOLA – 800M NATIONAL CHAMPION
IN PERSONAL BEST TIME + STORMING 400M RELAY LEG

800M FINAL
Despite running an 800m heat (in 2 min 12 sec) about 3 hours before, Achola Janet set a blistering pace in the Final which she won in 2 min 6.1 sec, a new personal best time.

The full results were:

1. Achola Janet (Prisons) 2 min 06.1 sec
2. Annet Nekesa (Standard High) 2 min 08.6 sec
3. Chepkwemoi Gladys (Standard High) 2 min 10.4 sec
4. Anzazi Lilian (Ndejje University) 2 min 14.8 sec
5. Esther Opio (UPDF) 2 min 16.2 sec
6. Catherine Webombesa (UPDF) 2 min 16.5 sec
7. Lubagu Margaret (Gombe SS) 2 min 19.4 sec
8. Emily Chebet (UPDF) DNF

COACHES’ COMMENT

Achola’s coaches, Kevin and Sue O’Connor, commented: “There are many ways to win an 800m. Today, Janet destroyed the field from the front by a sustained piece of front-running. While the improvement in her PB was only by one-tenth of a second, any middle distance athletics coach will realise that with a fast heat just a couple of hours before, Janet is capable of significantly improving her PB this season. And after today’s Final, she ran a superb last leg of the 4 x 400m relay, closed a gap of around 15 metres on the 2 teams ahead, to secure victory for a jubilant Prisons team.”

”Both she and ourselves realised at the beginning of this season that the 2009 World Championships 800m qualifying time (2 min 01.3 sec) was not possible for her this year. But we are now extremely confident that she will achieve these required qualifying standards for the 2011 World Championships and the 2012 Olympic Games.”

”Today’s excellent National Championships follows shortly after Achola’s equally encouraging races at the recent World University Championships.”

KEVIN AND SUE O’CONNOR