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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda’s long-distance runner Jacob Kiplimo has qualified for the 5000m race at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics scheduled for next month. The Ugandan star qualified after scooping the 5000m race at the Spitzen Leichtathletik Stadion Allmend in Luzern, Switzerland beating Kenya’s Daniel Simiyu.
Kiplimo ran for 12:55:60 ahead of Kenya’s duo Daniel Simiyu who posted 12:55:88 and Boniface Kibiwott who came third with 13:06:26. The Olympics qualifying mark for the 5000m race is 13:13.50. Kiplimo joins his counterparts, Joshua Cheptegei and Oscar Chelimo who had already qualified for the men’s 5000m in Tokyo. Uganda has only three-quarter places for the race.
Kiplimo had won the 5,000m race at the same event in Ostrava last year where he posted a personal best of 12:48.63. However, this was outside the Olympic qualifying window. The world half-marathon champion also qualified for the 10000m race after posting his personal best of 26:33.93 at the Ostrava Golden Spike meeting in the Czech Republic on May 19.
He will be looking for a double in the Olympic games. He joins his counterparts Joshua Cheptegei and Winnie Nanyondo who are the only other Ugandan runners who will compete in a double in Tokyo. Nanyondo is preparing for both the 800m and 1,500m races while Cheptegei is also preparing for 5000m and 10000m races.
Uganda has prepared a team of 26 athletes for different disciplines such as boxing, athletics, weightlifting, rowing and swimming at the upcoming Tokyo Olympic games.
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