Runner Kiplimo becomes Uganda's youngest athlete for Rio

Jacob Kiplimo, 16, has become the youngest ever Ugandan athlete to qualify for the Olympic Games, to be staged in Rio de Janeiro from August 5 to 21.

Kiplimo on Thursday, qualified for the 2016 Rio Games after winning a 5,000m race in Orvieto, Italy. He recorded a time of 13:24:40 to hit the Olympic qualifying mark which stands at 13.25:00.

"We are very happy that a junior athlete has managed to make it to the big stage of the Olympics. He is the youngest ever Ugandan athlete to qualify for Olympic Games," Dominic Otuchet, the president of the Uganda Athletics Federation told Xinhua on Friday.

He said the qualification will give Kiplimo a chance to learn from the seasoned runners.

Kiplimo, who already qualified for the World Junior Championship in Poland, became the 15th athlete to qualify for Uganda besides two boxers.

Last weekend another Ugandan Stella Chesang qualified for the Olympic Games after finishing third in the 5,000m race at the FBK Games Hengelo Championship in the Netherlands.

"Our target remains to have 18 athletes qualify for the Olympics. We need to have a big number so that it improves our chances of winning medals," said Otuchet.

--IANS

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