Jean Galfione peprares to vault at the 2005 Francophone Games, Niamey, Niger (© AFP/Getty Images)
France and Morocco reaped a harvest of nine and eight medals respectively during the third day (Tue 13) of the athletics competition at the Francophone Games, which is on-going at Seyni Kountché stadium, Niamey, Niger. There was also one very low key farewell to an illustrious career, as Jean Galfione registered a no-height in his last ever competition.
Moroccan athletes continued their domination in the running events with victories by Hamid Ezzine in the 3000m Steeplechase (8:52.73), and Yassine Bensghir, the 2002 World junior 1500m champion, in the 800m (1:47.11). A day after a sweep in the women’s 10,000m, the women’s 1500m also turned into a “Moroccan affair”, due to the lack of any real challenge, as there were only five entrants in total. Seltana Ait Hamou, Saïda El Mehdi and Meriem Alaoui Selsouli went for a slow pace and settled the race in a final sprint which logically turned to the advantage of Ait Hamou, a 800m specialist (4:34.32).
France shone particularly thanks to its women’s team. In the Hammer Throw, perhaps surprisingly the field event which has attracted the most competitors so far, Stephanie Falzon recorded a season’s best (65.12m, 9cm shy of her PB), defeating among others the former World record holder Mihaela Melinte in the process. The Romanian couldn’t throw further than 61.96m for third place. Sylvanie Morandais was the first to cross the line in the 400m Hurdles 58.27, while the French 4x100m quartet with a combination mounting to 44.61 seconds dominated Ivory Coast (45.36). It was a result that reversed the outcome of the men’s race where France suffered loss to Ivory Coast (39.79 to 40.09).
The men’s Pole Vault went to Damiel Dossevi – a French athlete born of Togolese parents – with a 5.40m clearance. 1996 Olympic champion Jean Galfione couldn’t clear a bar in the last competition of his career.
Little-known Mathieu Gnaligo of Benin was probably the least expected winner of the day, taking the men’s 400m in 46.43, just 15 hundredth short of a new national record. The only credentials for the 19-year-old athlete had been a victory at the Solidarity Tournament in Niamey on the last weekend of May.
In the qualifying rounds of the 400m Hurdles, Barnabé Bationo improved the record of Burkina Faso he already owned (51.01 to 51.03) while Abdoulaye Chérif Issa set a new mark for Benin with 51.14.
Carole Fuchs for the IAAF
RESULTS
Click here for FULL RESULTS
MEN
400m
1. Mathieu Gnaligo BEN 46.43
2. Fernando Augustin MRI 46.52
3. Ismail Daif MAR 47.13
800m
1. Yassine Bensghir MAR 1:47.11
2. Assane Diallo SEN 1:49.10
3. Abdelkarim Khoudri MAR 1:49.52
3000m Steeplechase
1. Hamid Ezzine MAR 8:52.73
2. Abderrahman Moatacim MAR 9:01.03
3. Nordine Gezzar FRA 9:08.33
Pole vault
1. Damiel Dossevi FRA 5.40
2. Pierre-Charles Peuf FRA 5.30
3. Robert Hanson CAN 5.20
4x100m
1. Ivory Coast (Kouassi Tiekoura, Loua, B. Meite, N’Dri) 39.79
2. France (Urbino, Lubin, Cheval, Eyana) 40.09
3. Mauritius (Casquette, Augustin, Louis, Kowlessur) 40.28
WOMEN
1500m
1. Seltana Ait Hamou MAR 4:34.32
2. Saïda El Mehdi MAR 4:34.46
3. Meriem Alaoui Selsouli MAR 4:35.60
400H
1. Sylvanie Morandais FRA 58.27
2. Aïssata Soulama BUR 58.40
3. Aurore Kassambara FRA 59.45
Hammer
1. Stéphanie Falzon FRA 65.12
2. Amélie Perrin FRA 64.02
3. Mihaela Melinte ROM 61.96
4x100
1. France (Mang, Beret-Martinel, Kamga, Louami) 44.61
2. Ivory Coast (Brou, Sanganoko, Ayetotché, Allou Affoué) 45.36
3. Burkina Faso (Mien, Tondé, Traoré, Kamboulé) 45.99 NR
