Emeline Imanizabayo of Rwanda wins the 5000m at the African Championships in Accra (© Monirul Bhuiyan)
The opening three days of the African Championships in Accra have delivered historic breakthroughs and thrilling finishes across multiple disciplines.
The championships, running from 12-17 May at the University of Ghana Stadium, have already produced unforgettable moments, such as Cameroonian duo Emmanuel Eseme and Hervérge Kole Etame winning the men’s and women’s 100m titles respectively.
After finishing fifth and then second at the previous two editions, Eseme finally struck gold on his third attempt, crossing the line in 10.26. The race for silver and bronze was incredibly close, with South Africa’s Bradley Nkoana and Nigeria’s Chidera Ezeakor both clocking 10.32, with Nkoana awarded silver and Ezeakor bronze.
Moments earlier, Etame edged Nigeria’s Rosemary Chukwuma in another dramatic finish, with both athletes recording identical times of 11.49. Liberia’s Thelma Davies took bronze in 11.51 – her nation’s first individual medal of the championships.
The men’s 400m delivered one of the standout races of the championships. Dennis Hove – one of three Zimbabweans in the final – went out hard and had Morocco’s Yassine Zerhoume on his heels. However, Lee Eppie – who ran the opening leg for the triumphant Botswana team at the recent World Relays – changed gears halfway into the race and crossed the line first in 44.66 as Hove followed in 44.92, while fellow Zimbabwean Zuze Leeford came from behind to beat Zarhoume to the bronze medal in 45.03.
Ethiopia’s Ajayba Aliy Ahmed lived up to her billing in the women’s 400m. After being the fastest qualifier, she came from behind in the final to surge past Egypt’s Hemida Bassant who was in the lead going into the home straight. Ahmed clocked 51.54 for gold. Botswana’s Obakeng Kamberuka (51.79) and Ghana’s Florence Agyemang (51.87) also overtook Hemida (52.00) to complete the podium.
Ethiopian duo Abebe Lemecha Abdi and Mersimo Kasahun Bekele controlled the first lap of the men’s 800m, but Moroccan Imad Bouchajda took over in the second lap and appeared to have things under control. However, Kenya’s Kimtai Kelvin Loti overtook him close to the finishing line and stopped the clock in 1:45.47, with Bouchajda settling for silver with 1:45.62. Buoyed by the home crowd, Ghanaian record-holder Alex Amankwa took bronze in 1:46.18.
In the women’s 800m, Ethiopia’s Mesgana Zemedkun proved too strong for Botswana’s national record-holder Oratile Nowe, and raced to gold in 1:59.02 to the latter’s 1:59.09. Niger’s Samira Awali Boubakar set a national record of 1:59.63 to claim bronze.
Ten years after his first podium finish at the African Championships, South Africa’s 2017 world champion Luvo Manyonga secured his first continental gold medal. The African record holder won with his opening leap of 8.15m, beating Senegalese pair Lys Mendy (8.07m) and Amath Faye (8.00m).
Rwanda celebrated one of the most emotional moments of the championships as Emeline Imanizabayo claimed her country’s first-ever gold medal at the African Championships. She won the women’s 5000m in 15:46.62 to finish ahead of Djibouti’s Samiya Hassan, who finished in 15:47.05 for silver, an upgrade from her bronze medal from Douala two years ago. Ethiopia’s Ziyn Ayelegn placed third.
Kenya also made history in the men’s 10,000m, with Kelvin Chesang ending the nation’s 14-year wait for gold in the event, crossing in 28:30.44. Ethiopia’s Hagos Eyob Gared took silver in 28:30.57, while Kenyan champion Silas Senchura added bronze (28:32.66).
Ethiopia responded in the men’s 3000m steeplechase, where Gemechu Godana ran a commanding race to win gold in 8:38.37, beating Salah Eddine Ben Yazide of Morocco to the title. Samuel Firew Fiche completed the podium in 8:41.67.
World record-holder Tobi Amusan reclaimed her title in the women’s 100m hurdles – her third at the African Championships – leading a Nigerian podium sweep in 12.83 ahead of Ashley Miller (13.24) and Adaobi Tabugbo (13.26).
In the men’s 400m hurdles, Botswana’s Kemorena Tisang took gold in 48.66 ahead of teammate Victor Ntweng (49.21). South Africa’s Wenich Van Resburg was third in 49.35.
Nigeria dominated the mixed 4x400m as the quartet of Ezekiel Asuquo, Toheebat Jimoh, Victor Sampson and Patience Okon-George stopped the clock at 3:16.41, holding off Botswana (3:17.88) and Kenya (3:17.94).
Elsewhere, Nikiema Némata led a memorable 1-2 finish for Burkina Faso in the women’s long jump, jumping a lifetime best of 6.76m to edge compatriot Marthe Koala by just one centimetre. Nora Atim Monie won the women’s discus – a first for Cameroon – with 57.00m.
Yemi Galadima for World Athletics