Francine Niyonsaba
Personal information | |
---|---|
Nationality | Burundian |
Born | Nkanda Bweru, Ruyigi Province, Burundi[1] | 5 May 1993
Height | 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in)[2] |
Weight | 60 kg (132 lb) |
Sport | |
Sport | Athletics |
Event | 800 meters |
Achievements and titles | |
Personal best | 800 m: 1:55.47[3] |
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.[4] 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 meters lead the pack.[5]
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.[6]
Niyonsaba carried the flag for Burundi at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. She concluded her competition with her first Olympic medal, a silver in the women's 800m in a time of 1:56.49, behind Caster Semenya of South Africa.
In 2017, Nyonsaba earned a new personal best and national record at the Monaco Diamond League after winning the 800m there in a time of 1:55.47, on July 21. With this time she was the World No. 1. heading into the 2017 World Championships in London.
At the World Championships in London she won a silver in the women's 800m in a time of 1:55.92. She led throughout the majority of the race, but Caster Semenya used her phenomenal final kick to once again pass the Burundian on the home stretch and win gold.
References
- ^ Francine Niyonsaba. sports-reference.com
- ^ Francine Niyonsaba. rio2016.com
- ^ Francine Niyonsaba at World Athletics
- ^ IAAF DIAMOND LEAGUE Zürich (SUI) 31 August - 1 September 2016 Results 800m Women[permanent dead link] http://zurich.diamondleague.com/. Retrieved by September 1, 2016.
- ^ Burundian teen Niyonsaba takes dramatic 800m title as Nigeria top medal table in Porto-Novo – African champs, Day 5. iaaf.org (2 July 2012). Retrieved on 2016-08-19.
- ^ 800 m. diamondleague-monaco.com
- 1993 births
- Living people
- People from Ruyigi Province
- Burundian female middle-distance runners
- Olympic athletes of Burundi
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field)
- Olympic silver medalists for Burundi
- Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- World Championships in Athletics athletes for Burundi
- World Championships in Athletics medalists