KAMPALA, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Uganda's Stella Chesang has won the 10,000m women's gold medal at the on-going 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
The 21-year-old Chesang was in the lead for most of the race at the Carrara Stadium in Australia on Monday to record a time for 31:45.30.
"This is wonderful. Chesang has proved to us that the women runners have now got to the top," Dominic Otuchet, president of the Uganda Athletics Federation told Xinhua by telephone.
Another Ugandan, Mercyline Chelangat also won a bronze medal in the same race in a time of 31:48.41 behind Kenya's Stacy Ndiwa who was second. The third Ugandan runner in the race Juliet Chekwel finished in 7th position in a time of 31:57.97.
"I want to congratulate Stella Chesang for winning gold in the women's 10,000m finals at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia. You have done your country proud," Uganda President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni congratulated Chesang moments after the victory.
Sarah Nakiyingi, another fan told Xinhua that she is glad that a female athlete can win a gold medal at the international stage.
"We were used to Dorcus Inzikuru winning many years ago. We are proud of Chesang as a woman," she added.
On Sunday, Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei bagged Uganda's first gold medal when he won the 5,000m final.
Cheptegei has now changed his mind and allowed to run in the 10,000m final on April 15.
Earlier in the day two other Ugandan female athletes Emily Nanziri and Leni Shida also qualified to the semi-finals in the 400m. Leni Shida finished 4th in Heat 2 in a time of 52:79, while Nanziri also made it to the semifinals after finishing 4th in Heat 4. But Scovia Ayikoru failed to make it to the semis after finishing 7th in Heat 5.
