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At least four Ugandan top female athletes have booked their tickets to the 2024 Paris Olympics Games and the 2023 World Athletics Championships due in Budapest, Hungary, in August.
The latest entrants are long-distance athletes Stella Chesang and fast-rising star Doreen Chesang who had outstanding performances over the weekend.
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Chesang set a new national record as she posted 2:20:2 at the Hamburg Marathon, where she settled for the bronze medal.
Kenya's Dorcas Tuitoek won the race posting 2:20:09, and Ethioipia's Tiruye Mesfin came second at 2:20:18.
Chesang returned from maternity leave last year and went on to win the 'Absa Run Your City 10KM race' in South Africa.
She set a national record and personal best time of 30:39, beating Kenya's Jesca Chelengat at 30:48 and Ethiopia's Olympic silver medalist Genzebe Diababa Keneni at 31:02 in second and third place, respectively.
Chesang did not find her spark at the 2022 World Championships and Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
However, she has since transitioned to marathon and made her debut at the Hamburg Marathon over the weekend.
She beat the qualifying standard of 2:28:00 to qualify for the Budapest World Championships, and the Paris 2024 Olympics is meeting the qualifying standard of 2:26:50.
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Rebecca Cheptegei had held the national record 2:22:47, which she set at the Muscat Marathon in November last year. The performance also meets standards for the Worlds and Olympics.
Fast-rising athlete Doreen Chesang also shone on Sunday at the Zurich Rock 'n' Roll Running Series Madrid Marathon' where she posted 2:26:31 to win the gold medal.
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Mercyline Chelengat settled for a silver medal posting 2:24:12 at her debut Netherlands Marathon earlier this month. Kenya's Skyline Jepkorir posted at 2:22:45, while Cynthia Kosgei (2:25:24) settled for bronze.
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More athletes in the middle and long-distance categories are expected to book their tickets.
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