Africa in the footsteps of Doha

Africa succeeded a great operation on the day before last of the "Eugene World championships" by winning 2 Gold, 3 Silver and 1 Bronze medal, bringing thus its harvest to 8 Gold, 10 Silver and 5 Bronze medals. It is on the same trajectory as the previous Doha championships the total medals of which was 9 Gold, 8 Silver and 1O bronze. With finals on the program today for the closing of the American event, Africa can nurture the hope of winning new medals to do better or follow in the footsteps of Doha.

 

Thus, the best opportunities to win medals for Africa will rest on the shoulders of the 5000m specialists who are big favorites. And like in the 10,000m, Africa can take the podium in the men's 5,000m. The girls showed the way last night by winning all three medals in this event. Uganda’s Joseph Cheptegei is the world record holder in this event and the gold medalist of the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. Last Sunday, he successfully defended his 10,000m title. Ethiopia’s Muktar Edris, and Selemon Barega, Kenya’s Nicholas Kipkorir and Jacob Krop, are well equipped to play the spoilsports during a final in which the Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen and the American Grant Fisher are serious candidates for the podium.

Nigeria, with Tobi Amusan (100m hurdles) and Ese Brume (Long jump), relies on these two young girls to unlock their counter which is still displaying zero point like France. Amusan is in great shape and she improved her African record in the semi-finals by bringing it to 12’’40. Ese Brume is a bronze medalist in Doha and at the last Olympic Games in Tokyo. She is one of the few long jump specialists to have cleared more than 7 meters.

Two of the biggest Athletics stars will be in the spotlight today as the first World senior Championships in Athletics on American soil come to an end. Athing Mu (women's 800m) from the USA and Mondo Duplantis (pole vault) from Sweden were gold medalists at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and will be aiming for their first outdoor World Championships gold medals at Hayward Field of the University of Oregon.

Performance

5000m women: triple of the Africans

Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay took her revenge on the Tokyo Olympics by winning the 5000m final ahead of Kenya’s Béatrice Chebet (14mn46s75). Another Ethiopian, Dawit Seyaum, took the bronze medal (14mn47s36).

800m: African double

It was thanks to Djamel Sedjati (800 m) that Algeria opened its counter in Eugene. With a time of 1'44''14, Djamel Sedjati won silver behind Kenya’s Olympic champion, Emmanuel Korir (1'43''71). The third place went to Marco Arop, the Canadian of Sudanese origin.

Long jump: Silver to Hugues Zango

Burkina’s Hugues-Fabrice Zango did better than at the Doha World championships and the Tokyo Olympics. After winning twice the bronze medal in these two major championships, the triple jumper took silver at the 2022 Oregon World championships. With a jump of 17m55, he finished second behind Olympic champion Pedro Pichardo (17m95).

Medals’ table

Africa 8 Gold, 10 Silver, 5 Bronze

Ethiopia: 4 Gold, 4 Silver, 2 Bronze

Kenya: 2 Gold, 4 Silver, 2 Bronze

Uganda: 1 Gold, 1 Bronze

Morocco 1 Gold

Algeria 1 Silver

Burkina 1 Silver