Fredericks
9.93 and Kenyan 10k medal sweep in Tunis
Omulo
Okoth for IAAF
8 August 2002
– Tunis, Tunisia - Kenya’s distance running pedigree remained supreme, taking a
clean sweep of the men's 10,000 metres, while Frank Fredericks dashed to a 9.93
clocking to take the 100m on the second day of 13th African Championships on
Wednesday.
Namibia's Commonwealth Games 200 metres champion Fredericks made up for his lethargic run the previous night in the semis with a convincing victory over the 100 metres, which he won in 9.93 secs from Nigeria's Uchen Emedolu and Burundi's Idrissa Sanou who crossed in 10 secs and 10.16 secs respectively.
"I didn't run so well yesterday (Tuesday) and I wanted to prove to these youngsters that I still have a lot of what it takes to compete well. I am going to the World Cup to win again. Africa must show the world that we are dominant in track and field," said Fredericks, 34, who won the 200m in the last World Cup.
Kenya's world half-marathon champion Paul Kosgei led compatriots John Korir Cheruiyot and Benjamin Maiyo to a 1-2-3 in the 10,000 metres. Kosgei, who ran the fastest ever time at high altitude at the Kenyan Commonwealth Games trials in June (27:44), clocked 28:44.81 with Cheruiyot taking silver in 28:45.23 and Maiyo settling for bronze in 28:45.24.
The 10,000 metres race was so tactical, with the Kenyan trio and the Moroccan duo Jaouad Gharib and Said Berrioui apparently looking askance at each another during the early laps. At the bell, Gharib tried to take off but Cheruiyot followed. Kosgei shot up-front with 300 metres to go. At the final bend, Maiyo and Cheruiyot caught up with Kosgei and it was a Kenyan affair along the final stretch as the latter eased away to raise his hands in victory with about 10 metres to go.
During a night when Kenya grabbed five medals, world 1500 metres silver medalist Bernard Lagat led Laban Rotich to a 1-2 in the metric mile, living up to his pledge that he would secure a place in the African team for the IAAF World Cup in Madrid.
Lagat virtually ran alone and crossed the finish in 3:38.11 with Rotich edging Morocco's Abdelkarim Hachlaf to the tape in 3:38.60. The Moroccan clocked 3:38.78.
In the women’s 800m Mozambique's Maria Mutola led from the bell to the finish, with Namibia's silver medalist Agnes Samaria giving the only serious challenge around the final bend, which the world and Olympic champion disdainfully dismissed as she cruised to her fourth African title in 2:03.11.
"It will be nice to win a fourth World Cup and I am looking forward to that," she said.
Ghana's Margaret Simpson completed her heptathlon gold medal with second place in the 800 metres, crossing in 2:24.97 behind the Tunisian winner Imene Chatbri who stopped the clock in 2:21.52.
Simpson accumulated 6105 points for her victory, as Mauritius' Stephanie Domaingue, third in the 800 metres in 2:26.06, took home a silver with 5206 points and Chatbri completed the medal podium with 5103 points.
Nigeria's sprint queen Endurance Ojokolo powered to victory in the 100 metres after her strongest challenger Aminata Diouf of Senegal fell on the track with a thigh injury. The Nigerian won in 11.15, followed by Cameroon's Myria Leonie Mani (11.29) and compatriot Chinedu Odozor (Nig) (11.32).
The recently crowned Commonwealth champion Shaun Bownes of South Africa won the men's high hurdles final in 13.36, as Madagascar's B. Randriamihaja and Liberia's Sultan Tucker followed in 13.80 and 13.98 respectively.
Chris Harmse increased South Africa’s gold medal tally with a 76.07m victory in the hammer. Egypt's Yamen Abdelmoneim (69.19m) and Tunisia's Saber Souid (68.40m) took silver and bronze.
Another gold medal for South Africa was won in the women's high jump by Hestrie Storbeck-Cloete, who won the world title in Edmonton last summer and holds the African record (2.04). She triumphed with 1.95 metres, followed by Algeria's Amina Lemgherbi (1.70) and Hanen Dhouibi (1.70).
In the men's long jump final, it was Younes Moudrik of Morocco who prevailed with a jump of 8.06 while Mohamed Hatem Mersal of Egypt (8.02) and Algeria's Nabil Adamou (7.98) followed for the minor medals.
World champion Amy Mbacke Thiam of Senegal won the second heat of the women's 400m round heat in 54.02. Mireille Nguimbo from Cameroon won the first heat in 52.47 and Nadji Kaltouma of Ghana won the third in 52.69.
In the men's 400 m, Algeria's Adem Hecini won the first semi-final in 45.98 with Eric Milazar of Mauritius and Sofiene Labidi of Tunisia coming second and third in 46.07 and 46.09 respectively.
Marc Lagrange of South Africa won the second semi in 46.53. Ferni Augustin of Mauritius(46.64) and Kenya's Ezra Sambu (46.70) were second and third.
Leading results:
Men
10,000M Final
1 Paul Kosgei (KEN)
28:44.81
2 John K. Cheruiyot (KEN) 28:45.23
3 Benjamin Maiyo (KEN) 28:45.24
1500M Final
1 Bernard Lagat (KEN)
3:38.11
2 Laban Rotich (KEN) 3:38.60
3 Abdelkarim Hachlaf (MAR) 3:38.78
100M Final
1 Frank Fredericks (NAM)
9.93
2 Uchen Emedolu (NIG) 10.00
3 Idrissa
Sanou (BUR) 10.16
110M
1 Shaun Bownes (RSA)
13.36
2 B. Randriamihaja (MAD) 13.80
3 Sultan Tucker (LBR) 13.98
Hammer
1 Chris Harmse (RSA)
76.07
2 Yamen Abdelmoneim (EGY) 69.19
3 Saber
Souid (TUN) 68.40
Long Jump
1 Younes Moudrik (MAR)
8.06
2 Mohamed Hatem Mersal (EGY) 8.02
3 Nabil Adamou (ALG) 7.98
Women
100M
1 Endurance
Ojokolo (NGR) 11.15
2 Myria Leonie Mani (CMR) 11.29
3 Chinedu Odozor (NGR)
11.32
800M
1 Maria Mutola
(MOZ) 2:03.11
2 Agnes Samaria (NAM) 2:03.63
3 Mina Hammou Ait (MAR) 2:03.94
400M Hurdles
1 Zahra
Lachguer (MAR) 57.91
2 Bam Kaboud (CMR)
58.11
3 Mam Tacko Diouf (SEN) 58.86
High Jump
1 Hestrie Cloete (RSA) 1.95
2 Amina
Lemgherbi (ALG) 1.70
3 Hanen Dhouibi (TUN) 1.70
Heptathlon
1 Margaret
Simpson (GHA) 6105
2 Stephanie Domaingue (MRI) 5206
3 Imene Chatbri (TUN) 5103
