Uganda's Chesang targeting 2020 Olympic gold medal

After bagging gold at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Uganda's star Stella Chesang is now targeting gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Chesang, who won gold in the 10,000 metre race last month, told Xinhua news agency in an interview on Wednesday, that she is now putting all her energy toward making it to the Olympics and winning the ultimate medal.

"I will not feel comfortable until I win an Olympic gold medal and my target is to do that at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics," Chesang said.

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, Chesang was a surprise winner with a time of 31:45.30 when she outsprinted Kenya's Stacy Ndiwa and her fellow Ugandan athletes Mercyline Chelangat and Juliet Chekwel.

"I know staying at the top as a sportswoman is not very easy because there are times when you just can't hit your targets. Now that I've won a Commonwealth Games gold medal I know I have to maintain good form and work hard on getting better," Chesang added.

Chesang, who is also a police officer, said she is going to participate in many of the road races to help her improve her speed.

"I cannot say that I am under pressure now that I won a Commonwealth Games gold medal, but it is more of a big motivation for me to keep working hard because I know success comes with hard work," she said.

"I promised myself that I will stand at the podium receiving a medal at the Commonwealth Games and at the Olympics," Chesang added.

Stephen Njia, Chesang's coach at the Police Athletics Club, said that the athlete has what it takes to dominate 5,000 metre and 10,000 metre races around the world.

Chesang made her debut in a top international event in 2013 at the World Youth Athletics Championships in Donetsk, Ukraine.

--IANS

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