Uganda, March 21 -- About a fortnight ago, Halimah Nakaayi endured a bad day in the office. She crossed the finish line last after the women's 800m final inside the Glasgow Arena in Scotland.

Her pursuit of a second career medal at the World Athletics Indoor Championships had gone by pretty fast. Nakaayi had posted a time of two minutes and 5.53 seconds in sixth place, her slowest time of the indoor season this year.

Ironic! During the Budapest World Athletics Championships in Hungary last August, Nakaayi still had come eighth in the 800m final after a season that had so much promise.

Her big slice of bad luck first manifested during the Birmingham Commonwealth Games when she turned in eighth place again in the two-lap final and a fort...