Uganda at the 2016 Summer Paralympics | |
---|---|
IPC code | UGA |
NPC | Uganda National Paralympic Committee |
in Rio de Janeiro | |
Competitors | 1 in 1 sports |
Flag bearer | David Emong |
Medals Ranked 69th |
|
Summer Paralympics appearances (overview) | |
Uganda sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. This was the eighth appearance of the country in the Summer Paralympic Games after it debuted forty-four years prior at the 1972 Heidelberg Paralympics. Athletics track runner David Emong was the sole athlete representing Uganda in Rio de Janeiro. He took part in the men's 400 metres T45–47 competition on 8 September and did not qualify for the finals because he was fifteenth overall. Emong participated in the men's 1500 metres T45–46 event later that day and he took Uganda's first medal in Paralympic competition by coming second in the final.
Uganda made its Paralympic debut at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. After competing at the 1976 Toronto Paralympics, they were absent from the Summer Paralympics until the 1996 Atlanta Games, and have taken part in every Summer Paralympic Games since. [1] These Rio de Janeiro Games were the nation's eighth appearance at a Summer Paralympiad. [1] Uganda had not won its first Paralympic medal before the Rio de Janeiro edition. [1] The 2016 Summer Paralympics were held from 7–18 September 2016 with a total of 4,328 athletes representing 159 National Paralympic Committees taking part. [2] Athletics track runner David Emong was the only competitor for Uganda in Rio de Janeiro. [3] Three other athletes, Christine Akullo, Emmanuel Vukoja and Bashir Bwanga, failed to make the team due to them missing their final qualifying meets. [3] Emong was chosen as the flag bearer for the parade of nations during the opening ceremony. [4]
Uganda finished tied for ninth among African countries for the total number of medals won and sixty-ninth overall, winning one silver. Ethiopia and the Ivory Coast also won a single silver medal. [5]
Medal | Name | Sport | Event | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
Silver | David Emong | Athletics | Men's 1500 m T45-46 | 16 September [6] |
Every participant at the Paralympics has their disability grouped into one of five disability categories; amputation, the condition may be congenital or sustained through injury or illness; cerebral palsy; wheelchair athletes, there is often overlap between this and other categories; visual impairment, including blindness; Les autres, any physical disability that does not fall strictly under one of the other categories, for example dwarfism or multiple sclerosis. [7] [8] Each Paralympic sport then has its own classifications, dependent upon the specific physical demands of competition. Events are given a code, made of numbers and letters, describing the type of event and classification of the athletes competing. Some sports, such as athletics, divide athletes by both the category and severity of their disabilities, other sports, for example swimming, group competitors from different categories together, the only separation being based on the severity of the disability. [9]
A veteran of the 2012 Summer Paralympics and a silver medalist in the 1500 metres T46 at the 2015 African Games, David Emong was 26 years old at the time of the Rio Paralympic Games. [10] [11] His left arm was broken at the shoulder point after his fellow students beat him in primary school in 2005 and he did not receive medical treatment which resulted in the limited usage of the limb. [12] Emong is classified as T46 by the International Paralympic Committee. [13] He qualified for the Games by using a wild card because he could not attend the final qualifying meet in Qatar. [3] Emong partook in the men's 400 metres T45–47 event on 8 September and was assigned to heat three. He finished the race in 58.30 seconds and was fifth and last out of all the finishing runners in his heat. Only the top eight in all three heats progressed to the finals, and Emong was eliminated because he was fifteenth overall. [14] [n 1] Later that day, he took part in the men's 1500 metres T45–46 competition and competed directly in the final because no heats were scheduled. [15] Emong ran in the fourth lane and overtook Michael Roeger of Australia with 37 seconds to go and claimed second with a time of four minutes and 00.62 seconds. [16] [6] This earned him the silver medal and Uganda's first medal in Paralympic competition. [11] Emong was praised by public figures in Uganda for his achievement, [11] and he spoke of his ambition to inspire young people with disabilities in the country to take up athletics. [16]
Athlete | Events | Heats | Final | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Time | Rank | Time | Rank | ||
David Emong | 400 m T45-47 | 58.30 | 5 | Did not advance [14] | |
1500 m T45-46 | N/A | 4:00.62 | [6] |
Mozambique sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. This was the country's second time competing at a Summer Paralympic Games after making its debut at the 2012 Summer Paralympics. Mozambique was represented by one athlete, Edmilisa Governo, a short-distance sprinter. She competed in two events, the women's 100 metres T12 competition and the women's 400 metres T12. Governo reached the semi-finals of the women's 100 metres T12 and took Mozambique's first Paralympic Games medal in the women's 400 metres T12 by placing third in the final of the competition.
Mauritius sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. This was the fifth time the country had taken part in a Paralympic Games after its debut at the 1996 Summer Paralympics. The Mauritian delegation to Rio de Janeiro consisted of two athletes: wheelchair racer Brandy Perrine and short-distance swimmer Scody Victor. The nation's best result was tenth overall by Perrine in the women's 100 metres T54 event as both competitors did not progress to the final in their respective competitions.
Madagascar sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. This was the island country's fourth appearance at a Summer Paralympic Games since it made its debut sixteen years prior at the 2000 Summer Paralympics. Sprinter Revelinot Raherinandrasana was the sole athlete to represent the nation in Rio de Janeiro. In his event, the men's 1500 metres T45–T46, he finished tenth and last out of all the finishing athletes with a time of 4 minutes and 38.60 seconds.
Lesotho sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. This was the fifth time the country competed in the Summer Paralympic Games after it made its debut sixteen years prior at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics. The delegation to Rio de Janeiro consisted of two athletes: sprinter Sello Mothebe and discus thrower Litsitso Khotele. Mothebe originally came third in the heats of the men's 200 metres T12 and the men's 400 metres T12 events but he was retroactively disqualified for testing positive for a banned substance. Khotele ranked tenth in the women's discus throw F43–44 competition with a throw of 19.91 metres.
The Gambia sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. This was the nation's second appearance at a Paralympics, following their first participation in the 2012 London Paralympics. The Gambia sent one athlete, Demba Jarju, who failed to advance from his heat in the men's 100 meters T54 event.
Gabon sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. This was the nation's third appearance at a Summer Paralympic Games, following their two previous participations at the 2008 Summer Paralympics and the 2012 Summer Paralympics. Gabon sent a sole athlete to represent them at Rio de Janeiro, wheelchair racer Edmond Ngombi. He did not advance from his heat in the men's 100 metres T54 event as he came sixth out of seven competitors and attributed the result to a handlebar problem.
Cape Verde sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. This was the nations' fourth appearance at a Summer Paralympic Games since it made its debut at the 2004 Athens Summer Paralympics. Cape Verde was represented by two athletes in Rio de Janeiro: sprinter Gracelino Barbosa and javelin thrower Márcio Fernandes, who qualified for the Games by meeting the qualification standards of their events. Barbosa won the country's first Paralympic medal with his third-place finish in the men's 400 metres T20 competition and Fernandes came ninth in the F44 men's javelin event.
Cameroon sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. This was the nation's second appearance at a Summer Paralympic Games after it made its debut four years earlier at the 2012 Summer Paralympics. They were represented by one athlete, shot put thrower Christian Gobe, who contested one event, the men's shot put F55. In that competition, he finished eighth out of twelve athletes with a throw of 10.28 metres.
Botswana sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. This was the country's second time competing at a Summer Paralympic Games after making its debut at the 2004 Summer Paralympics. Botswana was represented by one athlete, Keatlaretese Mabote, a short-distance sprinter. He competed in one event, the men's 400 metres T12 competition, where he was eliminated in the heat stages because he was third in his heat and only the top two participants in a heat progressed to the semi-finals.
The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. This was the Virgin Islands' second time competing at a Summer Paralympic Games. They were represented by one athlete, Ivan Espinosa, who contested one event, the men's 1500 meters T37. In that event, he came in 8th place.
Nicaragua sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. This was the Central American country's third appearance at the Summer Paralympic Games, having made its debut twelve years earlier at the 2004 Summer Paralympics. They were represented by three athletes, sprinter Jennifer Osejo, middle-distance runner and sprinter Gabriel Cuadra Holmann and powerlifter Fernando Acevedo, who all qualified for the games by achieving the minimum qualifying standard in international competition. Neither Holmann or Osejo claimed a medal in their respective events and Acevado finished fifth in the men's −72kg powerlifting class.
Guatemala sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. This was the nation's seventh time competing in the Summer Paralympic Games since it made its debut forty years prior in Toronto, Canada. Middle-distance runner Óscar Raxón Siquiej was the only athlete that Guatemala sent to Rio de Janeiro after he was awarded a wild card spot by the International Paralympic Committee. He was third and last in his heat in the men's 1500 metres T11 and failed to advance to the final since only the top six were allowed in that stage of the competition.
Afghanistan sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. This was the nation's fifth time taking part in a Summer Paralympic Games. The Afghan delegation consisted of a single athlete, Mohammad Durani, who competed in the javelin throw. Originally he finished 16th in his event, but he was retroactively disqualified for a doping violation.
Tajikistan sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. This was the fourth consecutive appearance of the country at the Paralympic Games after it made its debut twelve years prior at the 2004 Summer Paralympics. Tajikistan was represented by a single athlete in Rio de Janeiro: sprinter Romikhudo Dodikhudoev. He finished 14th overall in both of the men's 400 metres T47 and the men's 100 metres T47 and these performances meant he did not qualify for the final of both competitions.
Palestine sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. This was the fifth time they had taken part in a Paralympic Games after its debut sixteen years prior at the 2000 Summer Paralympics. Palestine sent one athlete to Rio de Janeiro shot put thrower Husam Azzam, who was the flag bearer for Palestine at the parade of nations during the opening ceremony. He did not win his third Paralympic medal because he ranked eighth out of ten athletes with a throw of 6.34 metres in the men's shot put F53 competition.
Nepal sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. This was the fourth time the nation had taken part in a Paralympic Games following its first appearance at the 2004 Summer Paralympics. Nepal was represented by two athletes in Rio de Janeiro: sprinter Bikram Rana and short-distance swimmer Laxmi Kunwar, who both qualified for the Paralympics by using wild card spots for their respective sports. Neither athlete advanced beyond the first round of their respective events as they both finished 17th overall in their competitions.
Moldova sent a delegation to participate at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. This was the Eastern European's country sixth appearance in the Summer Paralympic Games since their debut twenty years prior at the 1996 Summer Paralympics. Moldova sent three athletes to these Games, shot put thrower Oxana Spataur, powerlifter Larisa Marinenkova and short-distance swimmer Alexandr Covaliov. Spataur qualified on merit and Covaliov and Marienkova were invited by the Bipartite Commission. Neither Spataur or Covaliov advanced out of the heats of their events and Marienkova finished seventh in the women's 73kg powerlifting category.
The Faroe Islands sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. They sent one participant, Krista Mørkøre, who participated in three events in swimming. Her top finish was 10th in women's 400 m freestyle S10, and she did not qualify for the finals of any of her three events.
Cyprus sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. This was the island country's eighth consecutive appearance in a Summer Paralympiad having made its debut at the 1988 Summer Paralympics. The Cypriot delegation to Rio de Janeiro consisted of two athletes: sprinter Antonis Aresti and short-distance swimmer Karolina Pelendritou. Aresti placed sixth overall in the men's 400 metres T47 event and Pelendritou came fourth in the 100 metres breaststroke SB13 competition after losing the bronze medal by 20 cm (7.9 in) in the final.
Suriname sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, held from 7 to 18 September 2016. This was its fourth appearance at a Summer Paralympic Games since it debuted at the 2004 Summer Paralympics. Suriname was represented by one athlete, sprinter and long jumper Biondi Misasi, who was making his third appearance in the Paralympics. He took part in two athletics event and his best performance at these Paralympics was seventh overall in the men's 100 metres T12 event. Misasi did not progress to the final since only the top four in all heats advanced to that stage.