| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Women's Athletics | ||
| Competitor for Uganda | ||
| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 2005 Helsinki | 3000 m steeplechase |
| Commonwealth Games | ||
| Gold | 2006 Melbourne | 3000 m steeplechase |
Dorcus Inzikuru (born February 2, 1982 in Vurra, Arua District) is a Ugandan athlete competing in steeplechase. She won the inaugural World title in women's 3000 m steeplechase, as well as the first Commonwealth title in the event. Her coach is Renato Canova. Sometimes her name is spelt "Docus". It was misspelled in her passport, and the mistake was perpetuated when she entered international races.[1]
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Inzikuru won the bronze medal in the 5000 metres at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games, finishing behing Meseret Defar, and Tirunesh Dibaba. She also won at cross country, beating all-comers at the Eurocross meeting that year.[2]
In 2005, at the World Championships, in Helsinki, Finland, Inzikuru ended Uganda's 33-year wait for an athletics world title, winning the inaugural women's 3000 m steeplechase event, in a time of 9:18.24 (at the time, the sixth best performance ever). Inzikuru only became aware of the $60,000 prize after winning the final and vowed to use her money to build a house and to help young athletes.
She had competed in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships that year but she finished in 18th place. In 2006 she won the Oeiras International Cross Country meeting, but she pulled out of that season's World Cross Country Championships.[3]
After taking two years out from athletics, due to giving birth to her first child (Emmanuelle Munguci) and receiving treatment for sinus infections and various allergies, she returned to competition. She won an 800 metres race in Namboole on 6 June with a time of 2:12.0, later saying: "This is my first race after over two years. I am just coming back and am proud of my time. It builds my confidence".[4]
Inzikuru grew up in Vurra, in Arua District, the daughter of an Anglican priest. Her parents were both talented athletes, but did not compete internationally. She was the third of eight children, but lost her two older brothers at the ages of eight and fourteen, to typhoid and malaria.
Inzikurru is now married to a doctor, Martin Bosco Acidri, a former sprinter.
Inzikuru often lives and trains in Turin and competes for the Milan club, Camelot. She often trains with men's world record holder, Saif Saaeed Shaheen, as the two share the same coach, Renato Canova.
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Gulnara Samitova-Galkina |
Women's 3000 m Steeplechase Best Year Performance 2005 |
Succeeded by Wioletta Janowska |
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