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Track and Field Events Bring Olympic Medals for Africa
By David Miskis
As the London Olympics enters its final week, how is the medal count for Africa progressing?.
Leading the charge for Africa is South Africa with three gold medals and one silver medal. Others countries that have medalled are Ethiopia, Kenya and Tunisia.
South Africa took their medals in rowing and swimming, winning gold the men’s lightweight four in rowing, silver in the Men’s 100 meter butterfly and gold in both the Men’s 200 meter butterfly and Men’s 100 meter breaststroke.
In track and field, Ethiopia took bronze in the Men’s 10,000 meters. The country won gold in the Women’s Marathon while Kenya took silver and Russia clenched the bronze. However, with the Women’s 10,000 meters it was all Africa on the medal stand with Ethiopia winning the gold and Kenya winning both silver and bronze.
Kenya won its own gold medal in Men’s 3000 meter Steeplechase
Tunisia is so far the only representative for North Africa to medal this Olympics. The country took bronze in the Men’s 1500-meter freestyle.
Unfortunately, South Africa did not medal in the Cycling Men’s Sprint Final earlier in the day.
TRACK AND FIELD MAY BRING MORE MEDALS FOR AFRICA
As the Track & Field events become numerous more African countries should be seen in the competitions. Today was the 1st round for the Women’s 100m hurdles, Men’s 800m, Women’s 1500m, Women’s 200m and the semifinal for the Women’s 400m Hurdles.
No African countries qualified for the Women’s 100m Hurdles.
The news was better from the Men’s 800m. In heat 1, a runner from Botswana Nijel Amos, ran the fastest time in heat one with 1:45.90. Heat Two saw Kenyan David Lekuta Rudisha place first. In the third and last heat, runners from Sudan and Kenya clutched the first two spots. The semifinals for this event will be held on August 7.
In the Women’s 1500m, Abeba Aregawi took first, while a Kenyan, Hellen Onsando Obiri, came in fourth to qualify for the semifinals to be held on August 8.
Cote d’Ivoire was the only African country to qualify for the semifinals in the Women’s 200m. Murielle Ahoure ran a 22.55, coming in the top runner for heat 1 of that event. The semifinals will take place August 7.
A Nigerian, Muizat Ajoke Odumosu, ran in the Women’s 400m Hurdle semifinals and qualified for the finals on August 8. She set a Nigerian national record with a time of 54.40.
The results from the Women’s 3000m Steeplechase saw Tunisian Habiba Ghribi take silver and Ethiopian Sofia Assefa take bronze. These wins were the latest medals for Africa. Russia won the event’s gold with a time of 9:06.72.
David Miskis is a SaharaTV Media Intern