LIU Brooklyn's Julius Mutekanga Competes in 800m Qualifying Round at 2012 Summer Olympics
8/6/2012
LIU Brooklyn's Julius Mutekanga
London, England -- Former LIU Brooklyn track & field athlete Julius Mutekanga finished fifth in his qualifying heat of the 800-meter run at the 2012 Summer Olympics on Monday. Mutekanga closed with a time of 1:48.41, less than two seconds from an automatic qualifying spot into the semifinal round.
Running for his native Uganda, Mutekanga started out the race extremely strong. After the first lap, the four-time Northeast Conference champion was in second place behind United States runner Duane Solomon. Mutekanga remained in the top three until there were 200 meters left in the race but was passed by two more competitors down the stretch. Solomon earned the victory in the heat with a time of 1:46.06, while Robert Lathouwers of the Netherlands and Andre Olivier of South Africa rounded out the top three.
While a member of the Blackbirds, Mutekanga took home back-to-back NEC outdoor titles in the 800-meter run in 2009 and 2010. He also won the 800-meter event indoors in 2010, helping LIU to its first-ever NEC team championship. The following indoor season, Mutekanga won the 400-meter dash and finished second in the 800-meter run.
Mutekanga, who earned his LIU degree in 2011, concluded his decorated track & field career with five school records, including individual records in the indoor and outdoor 800-meter run and the 500-meter indoor dash.