Francophone Games - Moroccan 10,000m medal sweep: Zhor el Kamch (C) (gold), Malika Asahasah (L) (silver) and Ayachi Fatima (R) in Niger (© AFP/Getty Images)
The second day of the athletics competition at the Francophone Games didn’t produce any major surprises as all the favourites competed successfully at Seyni Kountché stadium, Niamey, Niger on Monday (12). France and Canada shared the titles in the technical events, while African athletes were more successful in the track races.
French athletes dominated all men’s events but the 100m where Burkina Faso’s Idrissa -Sanou defeated Eric Pacome N’Dri of Ivory Coast (10.48 to 10.52). Both men had recorded 10.36 in the semi-finals on Sunday (11). This is the first international victory for the Dakar IAAF HPTC-trained athlete, who was African silver medallist in 2004.
Salim Sdiri, fifth at the last World championships, had no difficulty to win the Long Jump, landing just short of 8m (7.98m). After a victory in the Shot Put on the first day, Yves Niaré grabbed a second title in the Discus Throw (54.15m) ahead of fellow countryman Bertrand Vili (54.05m) who is married to New Zealand’s World silver medal winning shot putter Valerie Adams-Vili. Cédric Lavanne had the edge over Canada’s Jared MacLeod in the 110m hurdles (13.68 to 13.70) and 37-year-old Denis Langlois didn’t have problems to control his opponents in the 20km walk.
As for the women’s competitions, France’s Cameroon-born Veronique Mang was left unopposed in the 100m dash. Coming back after a thigh injury sidelined her for most of the summer season, the 21-year-old law student recorded her two best times of the season in the semi-final (11.34) and final (11.40) and can now set her sights on her 11.21 personal best. Morocco, led by Zhor El Kamch (33:41.28) had a clean sweep in the 10,000m. At the 400m, 2004 African champion Fatou Binetou Fall of Senegal was unable to resist the assault of Chad’s Kaltouma Nadjina, losing 52.12 to 52.57.
Canada’s Whitney Evans won the gold in the High Jump on countback over Andreea Ispan of Romania with a 1.83m clearance. Teammate Kelsie Hendry brought a second gold to Canada in the Pole Vault with a result that though that didn’t reflect her true level (4.15m, when she has a PB of 4.46m). As she said: I was hoping for a higher jump, but I’ll go with the victory. To go from -30oC in Saskatoon to +40oC here was a real shock!”
Carole Fuchs for the IAAF
Results
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MEN
100m (+0.4)
1. Idrissa Sanou BUR 10.48
2. Eric Pacome N’Dri CIV 10.52
3. Amr Ibrahim Mostafa Seoud EGY 10.55
110m H (+1.7)
1. Cédric Lavanne FRA 13.68
2. Jared MacLeod CAN 13.70
3. Berlioz Randriamihaja MAD 14.08
Long Jump
1. Salim Sdiri FRA 7.98 (+1.3)
2. Tarik Bougtaib MAR 7.78 (wind not given)
3. Arnaud Casquette MRI 7.76 (+2.6)
Discus Throw
1. Yves Niaré FRA 54.15
2. Bertrand Vili FRA 54.05
3. Eric Forshaw CAN 52.80
20km Race Walk
1. Denis Langlois FRA 1:30:47
2. David Boulanger FRA 1:31:16
3. Hassanine Sbai TUN 1:32:36
WOMEN
100m (+0.3)
1. Veronique Mang FRA 11.40
2. Amandine Allou Affoue CIV 11.67
3. Fabienne Beret-Martinel FRA 11.72
400m
1. Kaltouma Nadjina CHA 52.12
2. Fatou Binetou Fall SEN 52.57
3. Solen Desert FRA 53.57
10,000m
1. Zhor El Kamch MAR 33:41.28
2. Malika Asahsah MAR 34:41.23
3. Fatima Ayachi MAR 34:59.34
High Jump
1. Whitney Evans CAN 1.83
2. Andreea Ispan ROM 1.83
3. Béatrice Lundmark SUI 1.79
Pole Vault
1. Kelsie Hendry CAN 4.15
2. Syrine Balti TUN 4.05
3. Amélie Delzenne FRA 3.95
