Rwanda/Ethiopia: Five Fail Beijing Target

Rwanda chances of having more athletes attain the minimum Olympic Games standard qualification time were dealt a major blow on Thursday as four athletes faced rough exit from the ongoing African championship in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

First in action was the leading national sprinter, Islam Mulinda who finished sixth in heat two clocking 11.36 to set a national record but failed to qualify to the semi-final stage of the 100m event.

While the duo of Emmanuel Ntakiyimana and Etienne Gashagaza failed to overcome the battle in the heat stages of the 400m. Benin's Mathias Gnaligo won the heat stage three in a time of 47.10, leaving Ntakiyimana to finish sixth clocking 52.94.

In the other heat Gashagaza did not start hence denting Rwanda's chances of securing any more qualifiers. In 800m, the country's youngster Joseph Nzirorera qualified to the semi-final stage after finishing fourth behind Kenya's David Rudishu in heat two. Nzirorera clocked 1.58.04.

Nzirorera was due to face fifteen other athletes in yesterday's semi-final stage that had not been staged by press time.


The only event where many Rwandans had better hopes of getting at least someone to qualify was the 10.000m unfortunately the duo of Etienne Bizimana and Cyriaque Ndayikengurikiye failed to beat the minimum B qualification standard time of 28:10.00 for this year's Beijing games.

Bizimana clocked 31:33.26 to finish eighth while Ndayikengurikiye clocked 31:46.14 finishing ninth. Ethiopian trio of Gebregziabher Gebremariam, Ibrahim Jeylan and Eshetu Wondimu to a clean sweep of the medals in the event as pre-event favorite Kenenisa Bekele withdrew at the last minute.

However, 5000m female champion Angelline Nyiransabimana and 4*400m national team composed of Etienne Gashagaza, Musa Bizimana, Innocent Hakuzimana and Emmanuel Ntakiyimana were due to take to action last night.