Uchenna Emedolu (right) with Aziz Zakari after winning the 100m at the Dakar International Meeting (© Oumar Ba)
The International meeting of Dakar which was held last Saturday 3 April at the Leopold Senghor stadium was honoured by the presence of IAAF President Lamine Diack, AAC President Hamad Kalkaba and of the President of the National Assembly of Senegal among many other guests.
A number of good performances were achieved including a 45.29 run by Zimbabwe’s Talkmore Nyongani who improved by one hundredth of a second the current world’s fastest time of the year.
It was a very close finish in both men’s sprint races with 2002 World Cup 100m winner Uchenna Emedolu (NGR) out-sprinting Ghana’s Aziz Zakari twice. In the 100m final, the Nigerian was only one hundredth of a second fastest than Zakari 10.23 to 10.24. In the 200m Emedolu doubled up and won the race in 20.56 with Zakari yet again runner up in 20.61.
Ghana had its share of wins in Dakar with Vida Anim winning the women’s sprint double (11.32 for the 100m and 23.27 for the 200m.)
2001 400m World champion and a recent bronze medallist at the World championships in Paris Amy Mbacke Thiam (Senegal) was victorious in the one lap race (51.89). She also ran the 200m in which she finished a decent third (23.54).
Triple Jump African record holder and World Championships silver medalist Francoise Mbango of Cameroon dominated her event with a 14.17m leap.
Two national records were set in the course of the meeting. First by Ezzaraoui Latifa of Morocco, African junior champion, who managed 13.40m in the Triple Jump and then by Adama Sane of Senegal with a 45.93m throw in the Javelin.
The International meeting of Dakar marked the start of the African Athletics Confederation’s 2004 circuit of events.
Leading results
Men
100m (w: -0.5)
1. Uchenna Emedolu (NGR) 10.23
2. Aziz Zakari (GHA) 10.24
3. Idrissa Sanou (BUR) 10.32
200m (w: 0.4)
1. Uchenna Emedolu (NGR) 20.56
2. Aziz Zakari (GHA) 20.61
3. Joseph Batangdon (CMR) 20.83
4. Oumar Loum (SEN) 21.29
400m
1. Talkmore Nyongani (ZIM) 45.29
2. Naman Keïta (FRA) 45.74
3. Eric Milazar (MRI) 46.10
4. Ibrahima Wade (FRA) 46.47
800m
1. Abdoulaye Wagne (SEN) 1:48.72
2. Hamed Ismael Hamed (SUD) 1:48.93
3. John Litei (KEN) 1:49.35
4. Vincent Kemboi (KEN) 1:49.35
400m Hurdles
1. Seth Mbow (SEN) 51.30
2. Cherif Issa (BEN) 53.05
3. Oumar Diarra (MLI) 53.06
High Jump
1. Mustapha Raifak (FRA) 2.16
2. Dieudonné Opota (FRA) 2.16
3. Bakari Diémé (SEN) 2.13
Long Jump
1. Salim Sdiri (FRA) 8.05 (0.6)
2. Hatem Mersal (EGY) 7.89 (-0.4)
3. Arnaud Casquette (MRI) 7.73 (0.4)
4. Ndiss Kaba Badji (SEN) 7.72 (-1.1)
Javelin Throw
1. Yves Sambou (SEN) 60.90
2. Emmanuel Sambou (SEN) 59.20
3. Abdoulaye Niang (SEN) 48.89
Women
100m (w: -0.6)
1. Vida Anim (GHA) 11.32
2. Amandine Affoue Allou (CIV) 11.39
3. Aïda Diop (SEN) 11.47
4e Endurance Ojokolo (NGR) 11.52
200m (w: -0.1)
1. Vida Anim (GHA) 23.27
2. Aïda Diop (SEN) 23.30
3. Amy Mbacké Thiam (SEN) 23.54
400m
1. Amy Mbacké Thiam (SEN) 51.89
2. Hortense Bewouda (CMR) 51.95
3. Fatou Binetou Fall (SEN) 52.49
800m
1. Ndeye Marieme Niang (SEN) 2:14.43
2. Aminata Sylla (SEN) 2:16.10
3. Marietou Badji (SEN) 2:19.15
400m Hurdles
1. Maria Menshchikova (RUS) 57.82
2. Aïssatou Soulama (BUR) 58.11
3. Tacko Diouf (SEN) 58.23
Triple Jump
1. Françoise Mbango (CMR) 14.17 (w1.2)
2. Mariana Solomon (ROM) 13.50 (-1.1)
3. Latifa Ezzaraoui (MAR) 13.40 (w -0.2) (NR)
Javelin Throw
1. Adama Sané (SEN) 45.93 (NR)
2. Coraline Solano (FRA) 42.54
3. Marie Diallo (SEN) 39m66
