Omar El Ghazaly (EGY) throwing in Berlin (© Getty Images)
The 6th edition of Francophone Games, a cultural and multi-sport event joining 3000 artists and sportsmen from French language speaking countries, opened in Beirut on 27 September, with the athletics competitions starting yesterday 1 October in the Cite Sportive Camille Chamoun.
Egypt took a double success in the Discus Throw, the first final of the Games, with Omar El Ghazaly (61.01) and Yasser Fathy Ibrahim (59.56), the gold and silver medallists.
El Ghazaly, 25, whose record at World Championships (6th in 2007 and 9th in 2009) made him a clear favourite, had all of his 5 measured throws (60.89, x, 60.57, 59.93, 60.33, 61.01, 61.01) farther than the best attempt by the silver medallist Ibrahim.
The same dominance was displayed in the women’s Shot Put by Romanian Anca Heltne whose series (17.80m, x, 17.21, 17.34, x, x) exceeded second placer Jessica Cerival from France (17.14m).
The men’s 10,000m offered more suspense with a tactical race. In spite of the fact that the event was scheduled at the end of the day’s programme, it was still 25 degrees and 61 percent of humidity in Beirut, hardly favourable weather for long distance running.
Bernard Bizimana (Burundi) led the field to a 15:00.45 split at the half way point before Denis Mayaud took the head and progressively increased the pace until the last kilometre. Dieudonne Disi (Rwanda), a road race specialist who twice placed 6th at Half Marathon World Championships (2007 and 2008) chose at the last moment to surge away and won in 29:38.68 just ahead of Anis Selmouni 29:39.07.
The other final of the day, the women’s Javelin throw, went to Lindy Agricole who broke the Games’ record with 57.48. This winning throw was just shy off her Seychelles National Record set in 2005 (57.86).
Friday’s programme (2 Oct) will be highlighted by men’s 100m final whose heats and semis showed a solid level of quality, with 6 men under 10.40sec. Aziz Ouhadi (MAR) set the fastest time with 10.23, faster than his 10.25 National Record but it will not count as such as it was run with a 2.4m/s wind in his favour.
In the final his main opponents look set to be Ben Youssef Meite (CIV) who ran 10.30 and Canadians Hank Palmer (10.32) and Nicolas Macrozonaris (competing for Quebec 10.33).
P-J Vazel for the IAAF
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