On Sunday 5 August the African Athletics Championships are also finished.
The championship races were held on a road course next to the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba (NIG) and with the use of the Pit Lane rule.
20km men
At the start sixteen athletes representing nine Nations.
There were three favorites for the win: Lebogang Shange (RSA), Samuel Gathimba (KEN) and Hassanine Sei (TUN) all three athletes already well known internationally.
The three walked together for almost all 20km, and the race was resolved only in the final.
The victory went to Samuel Gathimba (KEN) with a time of 1:25:14 which enriches his 2018 palmares with this gold after winning the bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games last April. For him this is the second title of African Champion after the one won two years ago in Durban (RSA).
As far as silver and bronze are concerned, some press organs also local, reported second place in favor of Lebogang Shange (RSA) and third in favor of Hassanine Sbei (TUN).
The official results, however, report incredibly two second places for the same two athletes who finished the race in 1:25:25 and we stick to these.
Fourth place for Simon Wachira (KEN) in 1:27:58
Fifth place for Wayne Snyman (RSA) in 1:28:16
Only one athlete received three red cards, Mohamed Saleh (EGY), the last one in the final part of the race, for which 120" were added to his arrival time. He lost a position: from 7th to 8th place in 1:31:18.
20km women
They started in seven athletes representing six nations.
Unfortunately, at the last minute Emily Nigii (KEN) wasn't at the start. She was hospitalized to St. Louis Hospital in Asaba for a suspected malaria attack.
Also in this race were three athletes to enjoy the favors for the victory: Yehualeye Beletew (ETH), Grace Wanjiru (KEN) and Chahinez Nasri (TUN).
Victory to Yehualeye Beletew (ETH) in 1:31:47 which represents for her the new personal best (previous 1:31:58 obtained on June 26, 2016 in the previous edition of the CAA in Durban, RSA). On that occasion the victory was of Grace Wanjiru (KEN) who set the record of Africa on the distance with the time of 1:30:43.
The history of Yehualeye Beletew is amazing.
He left his family home in Debre Berhan in the Amhara region of Ethiopia at the age of 14 with the expectation of being able to get the money to live from running races that had given so much to the Ethiopian runners. Not being able to be part of the training center of Debre Derban as it was not among the selected athletes, he still decided to stay washing clothes to athletes to get some cash that would help her going.
She did regularly after training in the morning (from 6:00 am at 10:00) while the others rested.
After starting with the middle distance race, the coach Belete Mekonnen directed her to race walk and after a year she won the 5,000m track walk at the African Youth Games in 25:12.88.
International success came with bronze at the U20 World Championships in Bydgoszcz in 2016.
Second place to Grace Wanjiru (KEN) in 1:35:34
Third place to Chahinez Nasri (TUN) in 1:37:28
(co-operation and photos by Jola Moonkess - MRI)
The Pit Lane Area
Posting Board
Recorder and lap counting