News12 Dec 2005


Francophone Games – Day 1

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Rwanda's Dieudonné Disi wins the 10,000m in Niger - Francophone Games (© AFP/Getty Images)

Every four years, the multisport Francophone Games bring together young athletes and artists from French-speaking countries and areas around the world for a week of competition and celebrations. The last Games, held in 2001 in Ottawa, Canada attracted a deep quality field thanks to the proximity with the 2001 IAAF World Championships in Athletics which were organised two weeks later in Edmonton.

The 5th edition of the Francophone Games that opened on Thursday in Niamey in the West African state of Niger doesn't feature many top names, as the date of the meet clashes with most athletes off-season training programmes. However, the Games are certainly a multi-national affair with athletes from 37 countries taking part in the track and field schedule of competition that got underway on Sunday (11)

With 62 athletes, France has sent by far the biggest contingent, and will surely top the final medal tally when the athletics ends on Friday. The advantage of number though isn't a guarantee of victory. Among the 5 medals bagged by French athletes yesterday only Yves Niaré in the Shot Put secured gold with a 18.64m release.

The hosts Canada got a gold thanks to hammer thrower James Steacy, with a performance of 71.90m, which was not too far from his personal best (72.83m).

The other successes of the opening day were reaped by African athletes. Lindy Leveau of the Seychelles, the second best javelin thrower in Africa this season (57.86m on 26 June in Victoria), took the win with 53.92m. Mariette Mien of Burkina won the women's Triple Jump on her last attempt with 13.23m (a personal best).

The most spectacular victory went to Rwanda's Dieudonné Disi in the men's 10,000m who defeated Morocco's Abderrahim Goumri and Ahmed Baday after a closely contested finish: 29:17.11 for Disi, 29:18.05 for Goumri and 29:18.06 for Baday.

In the qualifying rounds the most noticeable result was set by Veronique Mang of France who sped to 11.34 in the heats of the 100m.

The Heptathlon was cancelled due to lack of athletes.

Carole Fuchs for the IAAF

Click here for Full Results


Results
 - Finals (11 Dec)

MEN

10,000m
1. Dieudonné Disi RWA 29:17.11
2. Abderrahim Goumri MAR 29:18.05
3. Ahmed Baday MAR 29:18.06

Shot Put
1. Yves Niaré FRA 18.64
2. Stéphane Szuster FRA 17.19
3. Badri Obeid LIB 15.49

Hammer Throw
1. James Steacy CAN  71.90
2. Christophe Epalle FRA 71.41
3. Cosmin Sorescu ROM 67.43
 
WOMEN

Triple Jump
1. Mariette Mien BUR 13.23
2. Latifa Ezziraoui MAR 13.18
3. Béatrice Kamboulé BUR 13.05

Javelin Throw
1. Lindy Leveau SEY 53.92
2. Sephora Bissoly FRA  52.71
3. Karine Hervieu FRA 51.34

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