Who is who on Beijing Squad?

With only four days left to the opening ceremony of this year’s Olympic Games, Times Sport brings personalities who will hoist Rwanda’s flag at this year’s Summer Games set for August 8-24 in Beijing China. Rwanda goes to this year’s Olympic Games with only four athletes, including two runners and two swimmers. Dieudonne Disi (10.000m), Epiphanie Nyirabarame (marathon), Pamela Girimbabazi and Jackson Niyomugabo (swimming) are the only athletics who have qualified for the Games. Dieudonne Disi10000mDate of Birth: 24 /11/1980Weight- 52kgHeight-1.7mCoach: Philippe Plancke PERSONAL BEST3000 Metres-8:04.85 Bydgoszcz 05 06 20045000 Metres-13:38.12 Solihull 22 05 200410,000 Metres-27:22.28 Bruxelles 14 09 2007(National Record)Half Marathon-59:32 Udine 14 10 2007 Dieudonne Disi is the leading long distance and cross country runner in the country and he is a medal hopeful in this year’s Games where he will compete in 10000m along side Kenyan and Ethiopian rivals who dominate the event. 2008:He finished fifth in the Bloomsday 12km race held in Washington, USA in February. He also took part in the Abu Dhabi Half Marathon held in United Arab Emirates and finished fifth. He took part in the RAK Half Marathon which was held in United Arab Emirates and finished eight. Though the year has not come to an end but his performances have been poor compared to last year where he posted good and promising results. 2007:Last year, was a successful year for Disi as he won several European and African international events to bring pride to Rwanda. But most of his success was obtained from road races instead of track races where he is expected to face a hard task in Beijing. In March, Disi finished 23rd in the IAAF 12km World Cross Country Championships held in Mombasa, Kenya. He clocked 38:07 to finish 22 places behind fiercest rival and Eritrean star Zernesay Tadesse. In July, he missed out a chance of winning silverware for Rwanda as he finished fourth in the All-Africa Games Half Marathon held in Algiers. In August, he finished 11th as he clocked 13:47.30 in 5000m at the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics held in Osaka, Japan. In October, Disi clocked 59:32 to finish sixth in the second edition of the IAAF World Road Running Championships held in Udine, Italy. In November, Disi clocked 27:22.28 to finish sixth in the IAAF Golden League held in Brussels. This is where Disi beat the maximum standard ‘A’ qualification to this year’s Olympic Games. Just to the end of 2007, the long distance gazelle won gold and hefty cash prizes as he beat rivals to lift the Lagos Half Marathon, Delhi Half Marathon and Reims Half Marathon titles respectively. 2006:Disi finished 40th in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships held in Fukuoka, Japan but had competed in two separate cross country championships; He won silver in both Haro, Valladolid championships held in Spain. Disi clocked 8:01.73 to finish 8th in the 3000m at the 11th IAAF World Indoor Championships held in Moskva (Olimpiyskiy Stadium). He went to win silver in the Lagos Half Marathon, finished ninth in the first edition of the IAAF World Road Running Championships clocking 57:42 in Debrecen, Hungary. 2005:He had little competitions in 2005 and managed to win gold and bronze in the 10km races held in Chemnitz and Gniezno. He clocked 28:39 to win gold in 10km race held in Rostock. Disi finished 17th and clocked 27:53 in the10th IAAF World Championships in Athletics held in Helsinki. He clocked 37:41 to finish in the 33rd IAAF World Cross Country Championships held in St Etienne, France.He winded the 2005 season with gold in 10,000m at the Jeux de la Francophone Games held in Niamey Niger. 2004:2004 was a successful year for Disi but his poor show in summer Olympic Games held in Athens forced him to take a revenge on the European championships thereafter. He finished 17th after clocking 28:43:19 at the 28th Olympic Games in Athens. Disi led the men’s 10000 meters through the first two laps before falling back through the field as the pace increased leaving Kenenisa Bekele to win the event. He finished 4th at the 14th African Championships held in Brazzaville clocking 28:39:26 to beat the minimum qualifications for the Athens Games. He was 18th after clocking 37:36 at the 32nd IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Bruxelles. Disi won two gold medals in the 3000m event held in Bydgoszcz and 5000m event held in Solihull. Early that year, Disi was the World Military Cross Country Championship Silver Medalist held Beirut, Lebanon.Disi had no success from 2000-2003 as he was still yearning to make an impression in Europe. Epiphanie NyirabarameWomen’s marathon (42km)Date of Birth 15/12/1981 Weight 45kgPersonal Best 3000 Metres 10:39.35 Nancy 28/07/19985000 Metres 17:12.23 Radés 06/08/200210,000 Metres 34:27.51 Radés 09/08/2002Half Marathon 1:17:14 Udine 14/10/2007Marathon 2:41:33 Roma 16/03/2008 Epiphanie Nyirabarame is the leading women runner in marathon, half marathon and a better performer in the 3000m, 5000m, and 10000m respectively. 2008Nyirabarame took part in only one international marathon this year. She clocked 2:41:33 to finish 12th in the Roma marathon race. This is where she beat the minimum qualification standards that will enable her to compete in this year’s Olympic Games. However, Nyirabarame will have to beat against the odds to display a better show as she will battle with World marathon record holder Paula Radcliff whose time (2:15:25), Japan’s Mizuki Noguchi, Kenyan Catherine Ndereba makes her pre-race favorites for this year’s marathon title. 2007Nyirabarame took part in the 2nd edition of the IAAF World road running championship held in Udine, Italy. She clocked 1:17:14 to finish 50th overall in the event. She also participated in the 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships and finished 52nd after clocking 30:37 in Mombasa, Kenya. 2005She only took part in the 10th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki and finished 46th after clocking 2:52:11 in 42km marathon race. Pamela Girimbabazi RugabiraSwimmer 50m-freestyleDate of Birth January 10, 1984Weight: 58 kg Pamela Girimbabazi is on a quest of improving the image of Rwanda, one stroke at a time in at the Beijing summer Olympic Games. The 23-year old law student is someone different from in the rarefied world of super-elite Olympic athletes.Pamela has never had any formal swim lesson or regular coach but she has learnt most of the techniques from a book that a teacher lent to a friend. Girimbabazi is the most experienced competitor on the Rwanda team. She will take part in the 50-metre freestyle in Beijing. The fastest she sprints down the pool is 41seconds, a far cry from the world record of just 23.97 seconds held by Australian swimming queen Libby Trickett. Girimbabazi’s personal goal is to better her previous Olympic performances. She was disqualified on a technical error in her first Olympics held in 2000 in Sydney and came dead last in her second Olympics held in Athens four years ago. Girimbabazi’s time in the women’s 100 Metres breaststroke was the slowest in the competition by more than 15 seconds. She clocked 1:50.39 to finish 48th at the Athens Games. Jackson Niyomugabo Swimmer 50m-freestyleDate of birth 01/01/1988Weight 65kg Jackson Niyomugabo who is making his debut at the Olympic Games will be hoping to display a better performance and focus at not being disqualified in the firs round like what happed to his team mate Pamela Girimbabazi at the 2000 Sydney Games. “Such an international event has many things that makes one lose concentration but I have passed through all this and am ready for the challenge that awaits me in Beijing,” Niyomugabo said. Two years ago, fellow competitor Jackson Niyomugabo was given a book about swimming by a high school teacher. Les Secrets D’une Nage Evolutive became the bible for both Niyomugabo and Girimbabazi. Niyomugabo has no international experience but his recent performances this year forced the swimming federation to select him for the Beijing games. Ends

Lifestyle

Who is who on Beijing Squad?