Francine Niyonsaba

Francine Niyonsaba

Niyonsaba at the 2016 Olympics
Personal information
Nationality	Burundian
Born	(1993-05-05) May 5, 1993 Nkanda Bweru, Ruyigi Province, Burundi
Height	1.66 m (5 ft 5+1⁄2 in)
Weight	60 kg (130 lb)
Sport
Sport	Running
Event	800 meters
Achievements and titles
Personal best	800 m: 1:56.24
Medal record Representing Burundi Olympic Games 2016 Rio de Janeiro 800 m World Indoor Championships 2016 Portland 800 m African Championships 2012 Porto Novo 800 m

Francine Niyonsaba (born May 5, 1993) is a Burundian runner who specializes in the 800 metres. She is a 2016 silver medalist in the 800 metres. Her silver medal was the first Olympic medal for Burundi since 1996. Niyonsaba finished second in 800 meters 7 race series of 2016 Diamond League. She improved her personal best to 1:56.24 at 2016 Herculis meet.

She is the National record holder in the event, improving her own record to 1:58.67 on August 9, 2012 in the semi-final round of the Women's 800m event at the 2012 Summer Olympics. It was a 0.01 seconds improvement on her previous record. Two days later she finished seventh (subsequently upgraded to sixth as a result of Elena Arzhakova's disqualification) in the 2012 Olympic final. Less than a month later she took the record down yet again to 1:56.59.

She had a quick rise to prominence in 2012 while still a teenager. The first time she set the record was in late June 2012 while narrowly winning the 2012 African Championships in Athletics in 1:59.11 in what was only her third competitive race. At that, she improved upon her own previous national record of 2:02.13, set in the qualifying round. In the opening round race, the inexperienced runner had opened up a 30 metres lead on the pack.

Three weeks later on July 20, 2012, she improved the record again to 1:58.68 while finishing second at the 2012 Diamond League meeting at Herculis.