Burundi’s paralympic runner, Rémy Nikobimeze, can look back on a successful Games despite not winning a medal.
Nikobimeze, 23, who lost his right arm during Burundi’s civil war, competed with other arm amputees in the men’s T46 800- and 1500-metre races in London.
In the 800 metre semifinal, Nikobimeze finished sixth of ten runners but managed a personal best time of two minutes, 0.25 seconds. The top three runners from each group made Saturday’s final; these include Rwanda’s Hermas Muvunyi and Kenya’s Abraham Tarbei, Jonah Kipkemoi Chesum and Stanley Cheruiyot.
In the 1500 metre semifinal on 1 September, Nikobimeze was also sixth and did not qualify for the final; in the final on 4 September, Abraham Tarbei of Kenya won gold in three minutes, 50.15 seconds. The EAC was also represented in that final by Uganda’s David Emong, who finished fourth, and Jonah Kipkemoi Chesum and Stanley Cheruiyot of Kenya (7th and 11th).
The Paralympic Games end on this Sunday.
