David Rudisha takes expected win at African Junior Championships (© Mark Ouma)
World Junior 800m Champion David Rudisha of Kenya set a meet record as a host of other athletes clinched their second individual gold medals on the final day (12) at the Africa Junior Championships in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Rudisha – no surprise
Who would win the men’s 800m was never in doubt. The race was about who would claim the minor medals and by what margin the lanky Rudisha would outclass his opponents. The World junior champion breezed past the hardworking race leader Andre Olivier (South Africa) with 250m to go and went on to set a championships record of 1:46.41. Fellow Kenyan Leonard Kibet (1:47.95), Algerian Manceur Nadima (Algeria) 1:48.20, and Olivier (1:48.52) followed. He also ran the opening leg for Kenya’s victorious 4x400m relay.
“I competed here because it is important to grace the African Junior Championships even when you are a world champion,” Rudisha said. “We must identify with our roots and give the youngsters motivation to pick up the sport. That is how I came to be an athlete.” He is the son of Kenyan legend Daniel Rudisha, a former national 400m record holder and a member of the 4x400m Relay team that struck gold at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
Double gold medalists
Zimbabwe’s Gabriel Mvumvure completed a double when he won the 200m in 21.03.
What’s more he achieved this even though he was carrying an injury. “I have had pain with my shins for most of the season,” Mvumvure revealed. “After my physiotherapists have a look at it, I should be alright and ready to attempt lowering my personal best in the 200m (20.91) at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan,” said the All Africa Games 200m finalist.
South Africa’s Constance Mkenku was the most decorated athlete at the championships. Her 200m (23.96) victory, came after the gold medals won in the 100m and 4x100m relay. “Osaka is about gaining experience. I will not be a junior forever. If I can lower my 100m personal best (11.27) which I achieved to secure the silver medal at the All Africa Games, then I will be satisfied,” says the streetwise teenager.
By winning the 1500m Ethiopia’s Emebt Etea earned her second gold medal having earlier won the 3000m. Aggressive front running in the 5000m paid off for Kenya’s Mathew Kisorio. Having earlier clinched the 10,000m title he has dispelled the myth that it is no longer possible to pull a double in both races at the same championships.
Championship records
Egypt’s flamboyant Samir Lotfy Karim delighted the crowd with some acrobatic moves during the High Jump contest. In return the crowd cheered him on as he successfully set a championships record of 2.17m. Earlier Sudan’s Faiza Omar (58.59) set a women’s 400m hurdles championships record.
In terms of medal hauls, Kenya are the Africa Junior Athletics champions after amassing 13 gold, five silver and three bronze medals. Defending champions South Africa were runners-up followed by Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso and Mali in that order. The Seychelles will host the next Africa Junior Championships in 2009.
Mark Ouma for the IAAF
SELECTED RESULTS
CR denotes Championship Record
PB denotes Personal Best
MEN
100m (-0.3)
1 Gabriel Mvumvure (Zimbabwe) 10.51
2 Khalide Zougari Idriss (Morocco) 10.71
3 Kagiso Kumbane (South Africa) 10.75
200m (-0.2)
1 Gabriel Mvumvure (Zimbabwe) 21.03
2 Khalid Zougari Idriss (Morocco) 21.25
3 Kagiso Kumbane (South Africa) 21.50
400m
1 Julius Kirwa (Kenya) 46.56
2 Sylvester Kirwa (Kenya) 47.41
3 Pako Serebi (Botswana) 47.44
110m Hurdles (NWR)
1 Loum Smith (South Africa) 13.98
2 Taher Abdoul Rahman Idriss (Egypt ) 14.23
3 Moussa Dembele (Senegal) 14.36
400m Hurdles
1 John Kitur (Kenya) 52.02
2 Amine Gounieber (Algeria) 52.20
3 Tanarat Teklu (Ethiopia ) 52.63
800m
1 David Rudisha (Kenya) 1:46.41 CR
2 Leonard Kibet (Kenya) 1:47.95
3 Manceur Nadima (Algeria) 1:48.20
1500m
1 Cornelius Ndiwa (Kenya) 3:46.47
2 Yehalalshel Tadessa (Ethiopia) 3:48.18
3 Dumisani Hlaselo (South Africa) 3:49.25
3000m Steeplechase
1 Abel Mutai (Kenya) 8:29.76
2 Yacob Jarso (Ethiopia) 8.29.99
3 Patrick Terer (Kenya) 8:34.59
5000m
1 Mathew Kisorio (Kenya) 14:13.25
2 Degen Gebremeskel (Ethiopia) 14:14.96
3 Dino Sefir (Ethiopia) 14:15.53
10000m
1 Mathew Kisorio (Kenya) 29:34.96
2 Humegaw Mesfin (Ethiopia) 30:02.17
3 Imane Merga (Ethiopia) 30:12.03
10000m Walk
1 Maher Ben Hilma (Tunisia) 53:09.98
2 Amine Djerfaoui (Algeria) 53:10.67
3 Degu Sore (Ethiopia) 55:13.67
Long Jump
1 Keenan Watson (South Africa) 7.79 (+2.1) CR
2 Ethan Alexander (South Africa) 7.52 (+1.1)
3 Mohammed Yassine Chayeb (Tunisia) 7.44
Triple Jump
1 Sief Islam Temacini (Algeria) 15.58 (NWR)
2 Edwin Kemei (Kenya) 14.88 (NWR)
3 Mohamed Trabelsi (Tunisia) 14.83 (NWR)
High Jump
1 Samir Lotfy Karim (Egypt) 2.17 CR
2 Hubert de Beers (South Africa) 2.15
3 Sean Stone (South Africa) 2.01
Pole Vault
1 Karim Mafhoum (Morocco) 4.60
2 Larbi Bouraada (Algeria) 4.60
3 Moahssine Cheaouri (Morocco)
Javelin
1 Mohamed Ali Kbabou (Tunisia) 71.47
2 Ferney Kitshoff (South Africa) 69.22
3 Abdulrahmane El Ehab (Egypt) 65.63
Discus
1 Victor Hogan (South Africa) 56.65
2 Jan ”JP” Hoffman (South Africa) 54.57
3 Becaye Coulibaly (Mali) 42.42
Shot Put
1 Jan “JP” Hoffman (South Africa) 19.03 CR
2 Orazio Cremona (South Africa) 17.66
3 Moussa Diarra (Mali) 16.69
Hammer
1 Hicham Mostaha (Egypt) 66.36 CR
2 El Ashry Mabd El Hakim (Egypt) 63.51
3 Clinton Williams (South Africa) 61.51
Decathlon
1 Medhdi Mouaci (Algeria) 66.04 points
2 Nicolas Castor (Mauritius) 6346 points
3 Richard Adou Adou (Cote d’Ivoire) 4893 points
4x100m
1 South Africa 40.61
2 Burkina Faso 41.39
3 Ghana 41.46
4x400
1 Kenya 3:09.90
2 Ghana 3:13.89
3 South Africa 3:15.38
WOMEN
100m (-1.0)
1 Constance Mkenku (South Africa) 11.65
2 Sergine Tatia Kouanga (Cameroon) 11.88
3 Fadwa Adjili (Morocco) 12.10
200m (+0.3)
1 Constance Mkenku (South Africa) 23.96
2 Tatia Kouanga Sergine (Cameroon) 24.42
3 SAKA Souliath (Benin) 24.78
400m
1 Pamela Jilimo (Kenya) 54.93
2 Souliath Saka (Benin) 56.20
3 Vivian Mills (Ghana) 57.04
100m Hurdles (-1.5)
1 Tete Traore (Burkina Faso) 14.26
2 Abou El Hassan Salma (Egypt) 14.41
3 Claudia Winson (South Africa) 14.48
400m Hurdles
1 Faiza Omar (Sudan) 58.59 CR
2 Hayat Lambarki (Morocco) 59.10
3 Gnouwere Coulibaly (Burkina Faso) 1:02.70
800m
1 Lydia Wafula (Kenya) 2:06.05
2 Ahalima Hachlaf (Morocco) 2:06.13
3 Amina Bekhit (Sudan) 2:06.38
1500m
1 Emebt Etea (Ethiopia) 4:17.39
2 Mercy Koskei (Kenya) 4:20.41
3 Halima Hachlef (Morocco) 4:20.91
3000m
1 Emebt Etea (Ethiopia) 9:07.53
2 Bezeneshe Uregesa (Ethiopia) 9:12.10
3 Jackline Chebii (Kenya) 9:20.59
3000m steeplechase
1 Mueni Mutai (Kenya) 10:02.46
2 Beatrice Kiprop (Kenya) 10:10.06
3 Trihas Gebre (Ethiopia) 10:17.30
5000m
1 Mary Wachira Ngugi (Kenya) 15:50.55 CR
2 Makida Haruna (Ethiopia) 15:52.17
3 Pauline Korikwang (Kenya) 15:59.61
10000m walk
1 Bekashe Aynalem (Ethiopia) 52:53:79
2 Tegist Bedilu (Ethiopia) 54:17:69
3 Afef Trabelsi (Tunisia) 55:10:63
Long Jump
1 Yamina Hjaji (Morocco) 5.97 (+0.3)
2 Christy Coetzee (South Africa) 5.94 (+0.2)
3 Mohamed Enas (Egypt) 5.89 (+0.2)
Triple Jump
1 Yamina Hjaji (Morocco) 12.33 (+0.3)
2 Mahomed Ghardeb Enas (Egypt) 12.32 (-0.5)
3 Worokia Sanou Burkina (Faso) 12.24 (-0.6)
High Jump
1 Maraleen Pretorius (South Africa) 1.75
2 Meryem Ouhbi (Morocco) 1.61
3 Musah Salamatou Musah (Ghana) 1.55
Javelin
1 Merlize de Klerk (South Africa) 49.18
2 Abaynesh Sisay (Ethiopia) 41.04
3Rose Nacoulma (Burkina Faso) 39.37
Discus
1 Mariam Traore (Mali) 36.50m
2 Ebtehal Aboud (Libya) 36.22m
3 Rose Nacoulma (Burkina Faso) 25.19m
Shot Put
1 Mohamed Atteya Walaa (Egypt) 12.95
2 Nakani Coulibaly (Mali) 12.95
3 Frico Lilane krabe (Cote d’Ivoire) 9.30
Hammer
1 Zacharia Noura Abdel (Egypt) 42.84
2 Ebtechal Aboud (Libya) 16.90
3 Sounia Halliche (Algeria) 13.03
Heptathlon
1 Katia Amokrane (Algeria) 4316 points
2 Korotimi Traore (Burkina Faso) 3601 points
3 Emmanuelle Bagabila (Burkina Faso) 3456 points
4x100m
1 South Africa 46.60
2 Burkina Faso 48.10
3 Ghana 48.37
4x400
1 Kenya 3:49.52
2 Ghana 3:53.54
3 Burkina Faso 3:56.24
