Burkinabe Marthe Koala won the gold medal in the long jump at the 2022 African Athletics Championships on June 10 in Côte d’Or, eight years after winning the heptathlon. In discus throwing, Cameroon’s Nora Atim Monie took silver.
First medal for Burkina Faso at the 2022 African Athletics Championships and it is gold. While waiting for Hugues Zango on the triple jump, Marthe Koala was the strongest on the long jump, this June 10 in Côte d’Or. The Burkinabè did not miss the opportunity to win, in the absence of the three-time defending champion, the Nigerian Ese Brume. She notably jumped to 6.42 meters, which placed her ahead of Moroccan Yousra Lajdoud (6.37) and Egyptian Esraa Samir (6.29).
In discus throwing, the Nigerian Chioma Onyekwere enforced the hierarchy, with a better throw at 58 meters 19. The surprise came instead from the Cameroonian Nora Atim Monie who, for the money, came between Onyekwere and another Nigerian, Obagieri Amechi, with a throw of 54 meters 44.
Dorra Mahfoudhi retrograde
African champion in Asaba in 2018, Tunisian Dorra Mahfoudhi finished second in the pole vault competition, with a best jump of 3.70 meters far from her personal best (4.31m). With 3.80m, the new boss, the South African Mire Reinstorf, did better than her compatriot Nicole Jansen Van Rensburg (3rd, 3.70m) and Mahfoudhi.
Tunisia obtained another medal, this June 10, 2022 in Côte d’Or: the bronze of Mohamed Fares Jlassi over 400 meters. Running in 45.54 seconds, the Tunisian finished behind 19-year-old Zambian Muzala Samukonga (45.31) and Batswana Bayapo Ndori (45.35), bronze medalist in the 4x400m relay at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
In the women’s 400 meters, South African Miranda Coetzee was the fastest in 51.82 seconds, ahead of Zambia’s Niddy Mingilishi (52.36) and Kenya’s Veronica Mutua (52.76).
Algeria not left out
Algeria was not left out this Friday with the coronation of Slimane Moula (1 minute, 45 seconds and 59 hundredths) in the men’s 800 meters. However, he had in the final the experienced Kenyan Nicholas Kiplagat Bett, 2nd in 1:46.43 and the Botswanan Tshepiso Masalela, 3rd in 1:46.65.
Over 3,000 meters steeplechase, doubled for Ethiopia, Hailemariyam Amare Tegegn being in gold (8 minutes, 27 seconds and 38 hundredths) and Bikila Tadese Takele in silver (8:28.31).
Doubles for Tobi Amusan and Ferdinand Omanyala
The Nigerians of Tobi Amusan – already crowned in the 100m hurdles – dominated the 4x100m relay in 44.45 seconds, ahead of the South Africans (44.87) and the Gambians (44.97).
Among the men, like Amusan, the Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala saw double. Crowned the day before with a breath over 100m, the sprinter and his team were the fastest in 39 seconds 28, ahead of the South Africans (39.79) and the Zimbabweans (39.81). Omanyala stands out as the hero of these 22nd African Athletics Championships.