Kiplimo dominated the national junior trials earlier this year. He will lead Uganda's challenge for a medal Sunday |
Uganda has a very strong record in the junior events of the World Cross Country championships, having bagged a stunning 14 medals in the last 14 editions.
Spurred on by Boniface Kiprop, Uganda won their first team junior medal in 2000, which was followed by seven more victories for the Under-20 runners.
Kiprop himself bagged individual bronze in 2002, which he followed up with silvers in 2003 and 2004.
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PHOTO: Kiprop (middle) led for most of the event in 2003, before being beaten by Kipchoge (left).
Since 2000, Uganda has bagged 5 junior men's individual medals, 8 junior men's and 1 junior women team medals. The senior men have bagged four medals, while the women 1.
Uganda's Juniors will this time be led by Jacob Kiplimo, world junior 10,000m bronze medalist last year. As a 15-year-old, Kiplimo was the country's youngest athlete at the Olympics last year where he finished 11th in his heat.
Having missed out on medals in the last two editions, this is certainly the year for the Uganda junior men to bounce back.
The men's record in the senior event, has Moses Kipsiro written all over it. He won individual silver and bronze in 2009 and 2010 and was part of the Uganda team's bronze medal winning efforts in 2007 and 2011.
The World Cross Country Championships consists of five races: one each for men (12 km) and for women (8 km); and one each for junior men (8 km) and for junior women (6 km) plus a mixed relay.
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PHOTO: Kipsiro (middle), Uganda's only senior medalist before. Cheptegei favourite to emulate him.
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