Halimah Nakaayi (born 16 October 1994)[4] is a Ugandan middle-distance runner who specialises in the 800 metres. She is the 2019 World Champion at the event and won the bronze medal at the 2022 World Indoor Championships. Nakaayi is the current Ugandan record holder for the 800 m both outdoors and indoors, and also for the 1000 metres.
 Nakaayi at the 2022 World Indoor Championships in Belgrade | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 16 October 1994[1] Seeta, Mukono, Uganda[2] |
| Education | Computer Science and Information Technology |
| Alma mater | Kampala University[3] |
| Sport | |
| Country | Uganda |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | 800 metres |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal bests | |
Medal record | |
She competed in the 800 m at both the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, reaching the semi-finals each time.[5][6]
Career
edit2011–2017
editAt 16, Halimah Nakaayi won the 400 metres at the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games held in Douglas, Isle of Man.
In 2012, she ran the second 10 km leg of a marathon relay at a festival celebrating 50 years of Ugandan independence. After advancing from fifth to second, she spent four hours in a coma.[7]
Nakaayi was the flag bearer for Uganda in the closing ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics.[8]
The following year, she came second in her specialist 800 metres distance at the Islamic Solidarity Games in a time of 2:01.60. At the 2017 World Championships, Nakaayi was eliminated from the event in the semifinals, clocking 2:01.74.
2018–2021: World 800 m champion
editIn 2018, she placed fourth in the 800 m at the African Championships with a time of 1:58.90. She lost to, 1–3, Caster Semenya, Francine Niyonsaba, and Habitam Alemu by only 0.04 seconds.[9]
In August 2019, Nakaayi won the bronze medal in the event at the African Games behind Hirut Meshesha and Rababe Arafi.
The following month, she became the world 800 m champion in Doha, Qatar, improving her own Ugandan record to 1m 58.04s. She held off Raevyn Rogers, who made a late surge to claim silver in 1:58.18, while Ajeé Wilson finished third in 1:58.84. Nakaayi was joined in the final by compatriot Winnie Nanyondo in fourth.[10]
After suffering a knee problem she reached only the semifinals at the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics with her time of 2:04.44 (2:00.92 in the heats).[11]
2022–present
editNakaayi competed in four 800m events of the World Indoor Tour and improved her Ugandan indoor record three times.[12] Racing in Karlsruhe, Val-de-Reuil, Liévin, and Toruń, she finished in positions 1–1–2–2 respectively, with bests of 1:58.58 (Liévin, lost by 0.12s to Natoya Goule) and 1:59.55 set in France.[4][13] She placed second in Toruń in a triple blanket finish with her time of 2:00.19 equalled by Ethiopia's 19-year-old Tigist Girma, and both behind Catriona Bisset who was 0.03 seconds quicker (photo finish).[14] In March, Nakaayi won the bronze medal at the World Indoor Championships held in Belgrade in a time of 2:00.66, behind Wilson (1:59.09) and Ethiopia's Freweyni Hailu (2:00.54), who overtook Nakaayi just before the finish line.[15] She won comfortably, however, with both Goule (4th) and Bisset (5th).[16]
At the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon in July, she didn't make it to the final after finishing eighth in her semifinal in a time of 2:01.05. The next month, Nakaayi placed eighth in her specialist event at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.[4]
International competitions
edit1Disqualified in the final
Personal bests
edit- 400 metres – 53.02 (Kampala 2017)
- 800 metres – 1:57.26 (London 2024) NR
- 1000 metres – 2:32.12 (Monaco 2020) NR
References
edit- ^ Halimah Nakaayi attained her secondary school education from the Ndejje SS Bombo-Luweero. 2014 CWG bio Archived 22 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Halimah Nakaayi – Profile". Olympedia.org. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
- ^ Mukasa, Ritah (10 March 2021). "I am my mother's degree, says Halimah Nakaayi". New Vision. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ a b c "Halimah NAKAAYI – Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
- ^ "Halimah Nakaayi". Rio2016.com. Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "Athletics NAKAAYI Halimah". Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 17 August 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
- ^ Nakaayi, Halimah (26 November 2020). "Fight for your dream". Spikes.WorldAthletics.org. World Athletics. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ "Rio 2016 Closing Ceremony – Flag Bearers" (PDF). Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ "African championships, Asaba (Nigeria) 1-5/08/2018". AfricAthle.com. Archived from the original on 24 April 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ "Halimah Nakaayi: "Once you have a dream, fight for it"". Olympics.com. IOC. 30 July 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ "Nakaayi runs below 2 minutes in new world best". The Independent (Uganda). 15 February 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ Whittington, Jess (22 February 2022). "Swoboda wins sprint showdown with Thompson-Herah, world leads from Tsegay and Mihaljevic". World Athletics. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ "World Indoor Tour 2022, Liévin (FRA) – Women's 800m". World Athletics. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ "World Indoor Tour 2022, Toruń (POL) – Women's 800m". World Athletics. 22 February 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ "Ajee' Wilson wins 800m gold at World Indoor Championships". LetsRun.com. 20 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ "WAICH Belgrade 22 – 800 metres Women | Final". World Athletics. 20 March 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
External links
edit
- Halimah Nakaayi at World Athletics
- Halimah Nakaayi at Diamond League
- Halimah Nakaayi at Olympics.com
- Halimah Nakaayi at Olympedia
- Halimah Nakaayi at the Commonwealth Games Federation (archived)
- Halimah Nakaayi at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games (archived)
- Halima Nakaayi at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (archived)
- Halimah Nakaayi at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games
- Halimah Nakaayi at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics
