RWANDA JUNIOR ATHLETES CLOCKED THEIR PERSONAL BEST RECORDS IN AFRICAN SENIOR ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Rwanda national athletics team Arrived in Kigali back from Durban – South Africa for the 20th African Senior Championships that was held in Durban- South Africa from 22nd to 26th June 2016.

The athletes who participated to the championship include : Mukandanga Clementine (30 years old), Nyirarukundo Salome (19), and NishimweBeata (17)

. The two later had qualified for the world championship in junior category and they wished to contest for Rio in the senior category. Nyirarukundo succeeded to go beyond the required standards threshold of 32:15 by scoring a performance of 31:45 in the 10,000m race.

She ranked 4th in the group of finalists. Nyirarukundo, who has proved to be among the best promising long distance athletes in Rwanda, posted 31:45:82, well below the required qualification minima time of 32 minutes and 15 seconds.

Nishimwe slightly missed the minima of 4:06 in 1,500 m race which she run with a performance of 4:08. She ranked 7th in the group of finalists and she broke her personal best performance which was 4 :18,02. Mukandanga had qualified for the continental championship and she scored 32:28 but she had no chance to qualify for the Olympic Games of Rio.