The African Championships for Combined Events and Race Walking took place last weekend in El Menzah, near Tunis - Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 May - and saw Algeria take two golds, and the hosts Tunisia and South Africa one victory a piece.
Combined Events
In the absence of Africa’s best performer Margaret Simpson of Ghana, Algeria’s Sarra Bouaoudia won the women’s Heptathlon with 5492 points: 14.03 100mH; 1.81m HJ; 10.10m SP; 24.98 200m; 5.94m LJ ; 25.16m JT; 2:15.50 800m.
Second came the Sudanese Mouna Jaber Adem (4919 points) and Tunisia took bronze via Aida Chaabane (4747 points).
In the Decathlon, the South Africans had a party taking gold and bronze. François Potgieter was the winner with 7168 points: 11.31100m; 6.77m LJ : 12.82m SP ; 2.08m HJ ; 50.01 400m; 14.35 110mH; 34.86m DT; 4.40m PV; 45.17m JT; 5:05.64 1500m), and compatriot Frederik Botha was third (7004 points).
Tunisia’s Anis Riahi, the defending champion, split the two with 7140 points.
Race Walking
Algeria’s second win of the weekend came in the women’s 20km Race Walk thanks to the feet of Bahia Boussaid (1:47:01) who finished over a minute clear of the host, Tunisia’s Rahma Mahmoudi (1:48:11) who was in her first ever continental competition. The bronze was taken by Nicolene Cronje, the African champion from last summer in Brazzaville, who clocked 1:49:54 this weekend.
Tunisia took their win in the men’s 20km Race Walk via the greatest talent African walking has ever produced. Hatem Ghoula, captured the lead in the last kilometre and went on to take his fifth continental title which is without equal.
Hassen Mzoughi - Journal La Presse Tunisie – for the IAAF
RESULTS
Race Walking
Men 20km
1- Hatem Ghoula (Tun) 1:29:27
2- Moussa Aounak (Alg) 1:30:00
3- Hassanine Sebai (Tun) 1:32:00
Women 20km
1- Bahia Boussaad (Alg) 1:47:1
2- Rahma Mahmoudi (Tun) 1:48:11
3- Nicolene Gronje (AFS) 1:49:54
Combined Events
Decathlon
1- François Potgieter (Rsa) 7168 points
2- Anis Riahi (Tun) 7140 points
3- Frederik Botha (Rsa) 7004 points
Heptathlon
1- Sarra Bouadia (Alg) 5492 points
2- Mouna Jaber Adam (Sud) 4919 points
3- Aida Chaabane (Tun) 4747 points
