Halimah Nakaayi Eyes Redemption With 800m Title In Sights

Posted by: Eninu William in Athletics August 27, 2023

Ugandan middle-distance runner Halimah Nakaayi is setting her sights on reclaiming the 800m world title. This is at the ongoing 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest Hungary.

Nakaayi’s journey has been a rollercoaster of emotions, marked by her agonizing last-place finish in the 800m final at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

The athlete captured the world’s attention by winning the 800m title in Doha four years ago. She remains an athlete reborn as she prepares to reclaim her crown in Budapest on Sunday.

“I am really grateful that my body is responding well. So I hope to give it my best.”

The runner finished third in her semi-final heat behind renowned runners Mary Moraa from Kenya and Athing Mu from the United States, Nakaayi clocked a time of 1:58.89. While it was just enough to qualify her as a non-automatic entry, it underscores her resolve.

“I am now a mature runner, I know what I want and how to get it.”

This comes after a year in which she struggled to maintain form past the 400m mark. This is a problem she seems to have now rectified.

Sunday’s 800m final will be no easy feat, as Nakaayi squares off against a strong field. This will include Great Britain’s duo of Jemma Reekie and Keely Hodgkinson.

However, as someone who has tasted both the bitterness of defeat and the sweetness of victory, Halimah Nakaayi brings to the race an indomitable spirit that could very well see her triumph.

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