Uganda competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. Since the nation's official debut in 1956, Ugandan athletes have appeared in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games, with the exception of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal because of its partial support of the African boycott.
The Uganda Olympic Committee fielded a team of 21 athletes, 14 men and 7 women, to compete only in athletics, boxing, and swimming at the games. It was the nation's largest delegation sent to the Olympics since 1988, eclipsing the record of 15 athletes who attended the London games four years earlier. About 80 percent of Uganda's full roster competed in athletics, particularly those who specialized in long-distance running and the marathon.
The Ugandan roster featured six returning Olympians, although only four of them competed in London in 2012: defending marathon champion Stephen Kiprotich, swimmer Jamila Lunkuse, and the steeplechase tandem of Jacob Araptany and Benjamin Kiplagat, who headed to his third games as the most experienced member. Meanwhile, Sweden-based boxers Ronald Serugo (men's flyweight) and Kennedy Katende (men's light heavyweight) staged their Olympic comeback in Rio de Janeiro after eight years of absence.
Other notable athletes on the Ugandan team were Solomon Mutai who won a bronze medal in the men's marathon at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing; 15-year-old distance runner Jacob Kiplimo (men's 5000 metres); and US-based freestyle swimmer Joshua Tibatemwa, who was the nation's flag bearer in the opening ceremony.
Uganda, however, left Rio de Janeiro without a medal, in contrast to the previous Games. Distance runner Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei produced the most successful outcome for Uganda, finishing eighth in the men's 5,000 metres and sixth with a personal best in the men's 10,000 metres. The nation's most celebrated athlete, Kiprotich, failed to retain his marathon title, slipping to a fourteenth-place finish in Rio de Janeiro.
Athletics
Ugandan athletes achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event):
A total of 17 athletes (11 men and 6 women), highlighted by defending Olympic marathon champion Kiprotich, were named as part of Uganda's official team announcement for the Games on 15 July 2016.
Track & road events Men AthleteEventHeat SemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankRonald Musagala1500 m3:38.454 Q3:40.375 Q3:51.6811Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei5000 m13:25.704 Qcolspan=2 13:09.178Jacob Kiplimo13:30.4011colspan=2 Did not advancePhillip Kipyego13:24.66 SB11colspan=2 Did not advanceJoshua Kiprui Cheptegei10000 mcolspan=4 27:10.06 PB6Moses Kurongcolspan=4 28:03.3822Timothy Toroitichcolspan=4 28:04.8423Jacob Araptany3000 m steeplechase8:21.532 Qcolspan=2 Benjamin Kiplagat8:30.766colspan=2 Did not advanceJackson KipropMarathoncolspan=4 2:22:0980Stephen Kiprotichcolspan=4 2:13:3214Solomon Mutaicolspan=4 2:11:498
Women AthleteEventHeat SemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankHalimah Nakaayi800 m1:59.78 PB5 q2:00.636Did not advanceWinnie Nanyondo2:02.776Did not advanceJuliet Chekwel5000 m15:29.079colspan=2 Did not advanceStella Chesang15:49.8013colspan=2 Did not advanceJuliet Chekwel10000 mcolspan=4 Peruth Chemutai3000 m steeplechase9:31.03 PB7colspan=2 Did not advanceNyakisi AderoMarathoncolspan=4 2:42:3968
Boxing
Uganda entered two boxers to compete in each of the following weight classes in the Olympic boxing tournament. 2008 Olympians Ronald Serugo and Kennedy Katende, who previously competed for Sweden, had claimed Olympic spots as a result of their box-off triumphs at the 2016 African Qualification Tournament in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankRonald SerugoMen's flyweightL 1–2Did not advanceKennedy KatendeMen's light heavyweightL Did not advance
Swimming
Uganda received a Universality invitation from FINA to send two swimmers (one male and one female) to the Olympics.
AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankJoshua TibatemwaMen's 50 m freestyle25.9864Did not advanceJamila LunkuseWomen's 100 m breaststroke1:19.64 40Did not advance
References
External links