SA athletes Africa champions
2006-08-13 18:06
Bambous - South Africa raked in
27 medals (10-12-5) while the host nation managed one silver when
the 15th African Championships ended in Mauritius on Sunday.
Kenya's Commonwealth 800m champion Alex Kipchirchir's
victory in the 800 and 1 500 hauled his country into second
position with 15 medals (8-3-4).
His compatriot Janeth Jepkosgei, who won the women's 800m gold at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games, denied
Mozambique's former Olympic and world champion Maria Mutola
victory in the two-lap race.
The home crowd had something to cheer when Stephan Buckland
took silver in the 200m in 20.67 behind Nigeria's Uchenna
Emedolu, who won in 20.61.
Ghana's world indoor and Commonwealth long jump champion
Ignisious Gaisa clinched the event in 8.45 - which would have
been an African record but for the plus 3.7 wind assistance.
The championships attended by 47 nations were characterised
by a strong head wind blowing off the Indian Ocean, which
reached a strength of plus 5.2m per second at its highest.
Kenya's Olympic 3 000m steeplechase champion Ezekiel
Kemboi went home with his head bowed after being disqualified.
He finished second to compatriot Paul Kipsiele Koech, but Kemboi
was ruled to have used unorthodox means to jump the bar.
Koech showed a bravado that could take him to further
successes this season as he won by more than 130m.
Olympic 10 000m champion Kenenisa Bekele's victory in the 5 000 was expected, but Kenya's precocious Mike Kigen
captured the imagination of the crowd when he finished second to
the great Ethiopian, and nearly won the 10 000 on Sunday.
Kigen only lost to Uganda's Moses Kipsiro on the line.