Home Sports Nyirarukondo Posts Seasonal Best in 10,000m, Beach Volleyball Team Reach Quarters

Nyirarukondo Posts Seasonal Best in 10,000m, Beach Volleyball Team Reach Quarters

by Bonnie Mugabe
5:01 pm

Rwandan athletes Salome Nyirarukundo and James Sugira seen at Livingstone Christian College during a day out with children in GoldCoast, Australia. Courtesy Photo

RWANDA international middle and long-distance runner, Salome Nyirarukundo managed a seasonal best as she finished a distant eleventh in women’s 10,000 metres final held on Monday this afternoonat Carrara Stadium in Australia’s Gold Coast.

Nyirarukundo clocked 32:13.74 to finish behind Uganda’s Stella Chesang who won the women’s 10,000m in 31:45.30.

Kenya’s Stacy Ndiwa registered a personal best of 31:46.36 to come in second spot while Mercyline Chelangat from Uganda won a bronze medal in 31:48.41.

In the 1500m women’s heat stages, Beatha Nishimwe failed to qualify to the final stage as she posted a seasonal best timing of 4:14.96 to finish ninth out of ten athletes that were competing in heat one which was won by South Africa’s Caster Semenya.

Still in athletics, Rwanda’s duo of James Sugira and Christopher Tuyishimire finished 7 and 14th inSunday’s Men’s 5000 final. Sugira posted 14:03.51 while Tuyishimire clocked 14:39.29 on their debut in the Commonwealth Games.

Beach Volleyball

Rwanda and African champions’d duo of Charlotte Nzayisenga and Denyse  Mutatsimpundu won their first match at the on-going Commonwealth Games after they dispatched Singapore with a 2-0 (21-11, 22-20) set victory in Pool C at Coolangatta Beach in Australia’s Gold Coast.

The victory game after Rwanda lost to Vanuata 0-2 (15-21, 10-21) on Sunday and New Zealand 2-0 (14-21, 16-21) on Saturday in their Pool C’s opening matches.

The victory earned Rwanda a quarter final slot as they finished ranked third in Pool C with four points, coming behind leaders New Zealand who were unbeaten in three matches to amass six points while Vanuata came second with five points tied on four points with Vanuata while Singapore are ranked bottom of the standings with three points after losing all the matches.

On Tuesday, Rwanda takes on Pool A winners Australia who finished atop unbeaten to amass six points.

Beach volleyball is making it’s debut this year in the competition, which includes 19 sports and brings together athletes from 71 countries and territories of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Cycling

Besides Beach Volleyball, Rwanda will be in action on Tuesday as the country’s lead cyclists led by reigning Tour du Rwanda, La Tropicale Amissa Bongo and Tour de l’Espoir Joseph Areruya and former Tour du Rwanda champion Valens Ndayisenga will take part in a gold medal event, the men’s individual time trial at Currumbin Beachfront.

Rwanda is represented by 17 athletes to this year’s Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, competing across four sports – athletics, beach volleyball, cycling and Para power lifting.

Rwanda have competed at the previous two editions of the multi-sport event – in New Delhi in 2010 and in Glasgow four years later.

The 21st edition of the international multi-sport event kicked-off on April 4 and will run through toApril 15 in Gold Coast, Queensland – Australia.

1 comment

Izzo April 10, 2018 - 2:28 pm

Salome is the ever best runner. Congratulations to her!

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