Anika Smit (RSA) wins the women's High Jump - African Jnrs, Tunis (© Gomri)
Tunis, TunisiaAnika Smit and Robert Oosthuizen each achieved lifetime bests to propel South Africa to the top of the medal table at the Africa Junior Championships at the Rades Stadiun in Tunis today.
Smit cleared the bar at a height of 1.89m to improve her High Jump career best by three centimetres. Algerian Moufida Anine and Tunisia’s settled for the silver and bronze medal after clearing 1.70 m.
“I initially felt under pressure as Anine was considered the favourite. However, once I was on my own I could relax better and concentrate on my technique. I think this is why I jumped so high,” said Anika
Equally undeterred by the spectators cheering for his rivals Robert Oosthuizen carried the day in the men’s Javelin Throw with a 75.94 effort. This is massive improvement from his previous career best of 71.84.
“My strategy was to go out there and enjoy myself. That took off the pressure from me. I guess composure is the key to this achievement,” said a delighted Oosthuizen.
South Africa also took the gold medal in the women’s Long Jump through Lindi van Dyk (5.80), while the men’s 4x100m relay blew away the field to clinch the gold medal courtesy of a 40.60 second effort.
Other notable performances were in the women’s Hammer Throw where Egypt’s Eman Elashry (54.59) set a championship record. Kenya’s Beatrice Chepngeno (16:04.10) also set a championship record in the women’s 5000m. Elsewhere Sudan’s Nawal El Jack (59.72) comfortably won the women’s 400m Hurdles, Algeria’s Abdelatif Djadoun (4.60) won the men’s Pole Vault, as the hosts Tunisia won the women’s 4x100m relay.
South Africa have now dislodged Kenya from pole position on the medal table. Both have six gold medals. However, South Africa has four silver medals to Kenya’s two. Sudan, Egypt, Tunisia, Senegal, Algeria, Mauritius, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, and Cote d’ Ivoire follow in that order.
Mark Ouma for the IAAF
SELECTED RESULTS
NOTE : Results from events completed
CR denotes championship record
PB denotes personal best
NWR denotes no wind reading
MEN
100m (NWR)
1 Katrim Toure (Senegal) 10.68
2 Gellecha Wetere (Ethiopia) 10.73
3 Youssef Ben Meite (Cote d’ Ivoire) 10.74
400m
1 Abubakar Negmedine (Sudan) 46.02
2 Adam al Noor (Sudan) 47.76
3 Abeje Habtamu (Ethiopia) 48.01
400m Hurdles
1 Seleke Samake (Senegal) 51.32
2 Antonio Vieillesse (Mauritus) 51.53
3 Johann Hanekom (South Africa) 51.86
1500m
1 Geoffrey Rono (Kenya) 3 :42.76
2 Adugna Kumassa (Ethiopia) 3 :43.72
3 Remmy Limo (Kenya) 3 :44.21
3000m Steeplechase
1 Willy Komen (Kenya) 8 : 35.82
2 Mesfin Nahom (Ethiopia) 8 :40.01
3 Sisay Iskyas (Ethiopia) 8 :41.21
10000m
1 Moses Masai (Kenya) 28 :30.27
2 Hosea Macharinyang (Kenya) 28 :41.44
3 Mohamed Ali Abdosh (Ethiopia) 29 :24.14
10km Walk
1 Ali Amrouche (Algeria) 45 :31.13
2 Nourredine Massoussi (Tunisia) 45 : 56.99
3 Amine Djerfaoui (Algeria) 46 :35.25
Long Jump
1 Yassine Chaleb Mohammed (Tunisia) 7 .49 (NWR)
2 Bertrand Boissy Guy (Senegal) 7.04 (NWR)
3 Housseme Maalaoui (Tunisia) 6.95 (NWR)
Pole Vault
1 Abdelatif Djadoun (Algeria) 4.60
2 Barent Howell (South Africa) 4.60
3 Khalil Ben Chhida (Tunisia) 4.20
Javelin
1 Robert Oosthuizen (South Africa) 75.94 PB
2 Ali Kbabou Med (Tunisia) 63.66
3 Fakhri Zouaoui (Tunisia) 63.01
Shot Put
1 Mostafa Abd El Moty (Egypt) 18.26
2 Donovan Snyman (South Africa) 17.75
3 Sayed Karim Mohamed (Egypt) 17.02
Hammer
1 Chawki Wanis Khaled (Egypt) 61.75
2 Johan Kruger (South Africa) 55.02
3 Conradie Meyer (South Africa) (53.36)
Decathlon
1 Thierry Guillaume (Mauritius) 6,838 points
2 Matis de Bruin (South Africa) 6355 points
3 Nebil Ben Abdallah (Tunisia) 5481 points
4x100m Relay
1 South Africa 40.60
2 Senegal 41.13
3 Tunisia 41.51
WOMEN
100m (-0.7)
1 Thandi Mgwevu (South Africa) 12.08
2 Nahed Abid (Tunisia) 12.46
3 Felicite Traore (Burkina Faso) 12.50
400m
1 Nawal El Jack (Sudan) 53.94
2 Fatou Soumah Ndeye (Senegal) 56.33
3 Jaber Moura (Sudan) (58.20)
100m Hurdles(-1.0)
1 Felicite Traore (Burkina Faso) 14.31
2 Christine Ras (South Africa) 14.38
3 Fatou Faye Mame (Senegal) 14.59
400m Hurdles
1 Nawal El Jack (Sudan) 59.72
2 Fatou Faye Mame (Senegal) 1 :01.31
3 Sondes Idoudi (Tunisia) 1 :02.26
800m
1 Lydia Wafula (Kenya) 2 :02.84 PB
2 Moura Jaber (Sudan) 2:04.24
3 Girma Chaltu (Ethiopia) 2 :04.87
3000m
1 Mercy Wanjiru (Kenya) 9 :14.89
2 Abera Alemitu (Ethiopia) 9 :15. 61
3 Beatrice Chepngeno (Kenya) 9 :16.36
5000m
1 Beatrice Chepngeno (Kenya) 16 :04.10 CR
2 Ester Chemtai (Kenya) 16 :06.13
3 Ayanu Workitu (Ethiopia) 16 :27.58
Long Jump
1 Lindi van Dyk (South Africa) 5.80 (NWR)
2 Amani Khemir (Tunisia) 5.65 (NWR)
3 Nahad Abid (Tunisia) 5.51(NWR)
Triple Jump
1 Kamelia Sahnoun (Algeria) 12.89
2 Monggia Arbi (Tunisia) 12.53
3 Kardjatou Traore (Burkina Faso) 12.47
High Jump
1 Anika Smit (South Africa) 1.89 PB
2 Moufida Anine (Algeria) 1.70
3 Sabra Ben Said (Tunisia) 1.70
Pole Vault
1 Nadia Mabrouk (Tunisia) 3.30
2 Sonia Halliche (Algeria) 3.20
3 Vanisha Nemdharry (Mauritus) 3.00
Discus
1 Marli Knoetze (South Africa) 46.44
2 Sara Hasseib (Egypt) 46.11
3 Ghada Ghezal (Tunisia) 37.48
Hammer
1 Eman Elashry (Egypt) 54.59 PB/CR
2 Ashraf Yasmine Mohamed ( Egypt) 50.76
3 Khadija Jallouz (Tunisia) 47.96
4x100m Relay
1 Tunisia 48.20
2 Sudan 48.25
3 Burkina Faso 49.01
