Kbabou defends, South Africa sweeps 4x100m Relays – African Junior champs day 3
Sunday 12 August 2007
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso - Tunisia’s Mohamed Ali Kbabou, Morocco’s Yamina Hjaji achieved landmarks as South African relays sparkled on the penultimate day (11) at the Africa Junior Championships at the August 4 Stadium in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Kbabou defends javelin title
African junior javelin champion Ali Kbabou (TUN)
(Mark Ouma)
Kbabou took an early lead with an opening throw of 67.12 the men’s Javelin Throw. He then sealed his victory with a 71.47 effort on his third attempt. South Africa’s Ferney Kitshoff’s (69.22) valiant fourth attempt narrowed the gap but fell short of dislodging the defending champion. Egypt’s Abdulrahmane El Ehab (65.63) clinched the bronze medal.
The cheerful Tunisian joins Kenya’s Lydia Wafula as the only defending champions who have so far retained their titles. For Babou the victory had far more meaning. “In 2005, I won the event in Tunis with a strong support from the home crowd. Today I have proved that I can also win away from home,” said Babou. “This marks the end of my days as a junior athlete. My next challenge is to prove that I can hold my own against the strong South Africans. I am looking forwards to meeting them at the Africa Senior Championships in Addis Ababa next year.”
Hjaji completes double in the horizontal jumps
African junior Long and Triple Jump champion Yamina Hjaji (MAR)
(Mark Ouma)
Morocco’s Hjaji’s modest 5.97m effort in the third round of the women’s Long Jump was enough to hold off the challenge of South African Christy Coetzee (5.94) and the diminutive Egyptian Mohamed Enas (5.89), to clinch her second championship title.
Hjaji is the only athlete at the event to win two events on the infield. For Enas this was yet another near miss as she lost out to Hjaji by a centimeter in the women’s Triple Jump. Elsewhere Libya’s Ebtechal will be pleased to have clinch her second silver medal when she was placed runner up to Egypt’s Zacharia Noura Abdel in the Hammer Throw.
Three dip under previous championship record in women’s 5000m
African junior 4x100 relay champions South Africa
(Mark Ouma)
The perennial duel between Kenya and Ethiopia in the long distances livened up the proceedings. Ethiopia’s Makida Haruna and Bezeneshe Uregesa tracked Kenyans Mary Wachira Ngugi and race favorite Paulina Korikwang in the opening three laps of the women’s 5000m. All four took turns leading for the first half of the race.
Then the East Africans stepped up the pace as the lively spectators, including Burkina Faso Head of State Blaise Compaore, cheered them. Uregesa fell off the pace with three laps to go. This left Haruna vulnerable to the Kenyan tactical surges.
The moment of truth came with 250m to the finish. Korikwang suddenly appeared to suffer a cramp. Ngugi (15:50.55), who was expected to be the pace setter prevailed in the closing sprint. Haruna (15:52.17) followed while a grimacing Korikwang (15.59.61) was third. So intense was the competition that all medallist were inside the old championships record of 16:04.10.
David Rudisha (KEN) sailing through the rounds at the African Junior championships
(Mark Ouma)
“Korikwang had experienced muscle pains while we were warming up. So when she told me she was feeling pain I knew there was a heavy weight on my shoulder. I am glad we Kenya carried the day,” said the shy Ngugi.
Earlier the only World Junior champion at the event David Rudisha comfortably won his 800m heat in1:48.09. “My best time this year is 1:45.1. If I can improve on that it will be great. I will not underrate anyone in the finals,” Rudisha disclosed.
South Africa (40.61) concluded the day on a high winning the men’s 4x100m relay Burkina Faso (41.39) and Ghana (41.46) were second and third respectively in the men’s relay. This pattern was repeated in the women’s relay with South Africa (46.60), placed ahead of Burkina Faso (48.10) and Ghana (48.37).
Going into the final day of the event Kenya lead the medal standing with eight gold, one silver, and three bronze medals. Defending champions South Africa are second. Morocco leaped to third spot ahead of Ethiopia, Egypt, and Tunisia in that order.
Mark Ouma for the IAAF
SELECTED RESULTS
Note: results only include completed events.
CR denotes Championship Record
PB denotes Personal Best
MEN
100m (-0.3)
1 Gabriel Mvumvure (Zimbabwe) 10.51
2 Khalide Zougari Idriss (Morocco) 10.71
3 Kagiso Kumbane (South Africa) 10.75
400m
1 Julius Kirwa (Kenya) 46.56
2 Sylvester Kirwa (Kenya) 47.41
3 Pako Serebi (Botswana) 47.44
400m Hurdles
1 John Kitur (Kenya) 52.02
2 Amine Gounieber (Algeria) 52.20
3 Tanarat Teklu (Ethiopia ) 52.63
1500m
1 Cornelius Ndiwa (Kenya) 3:46.47
2 Yehalalshel Tadessa (Ethiopia) 3:48.18
3 Dumisani Hlaselo (South Africa) 3:49.25
3000m Steeplechase
1 Abel Mutai (Kenya) 8:29.76
2 Yacob Jarso (Ethiopia) 8.29.99
3 Patrick Terer (Kenya) 8:34.59
10000m
1 Mathew Kisorio (Kenya) 29:34.96
2 Humegaw Mesfin (Ethiopia) 30:02.17
3 Imane Merga (Ethiopia) 30:12.03
10000m Walk
1 Maher Ben Hilma (Tunisia) 53:09.98
2 Amine Djerfaoui (Algeria) 53:10.67
3 Degu Sore (Ethiopia) 55:13.67
Long Jump
1 Keenan Watson (South Africa) 7.79 (+2.1) CR
2 Ethan Alexander (South Africa) 7.52 (+1.1)
3 Mohammed Yassine Chayeb (Tunisia) 7.44
Pole Vault
1 Karim Mafhoum (Morocco) 4.60
2 Larbi Bouraada (Algeria) 4.60
3 Moahssine Cheaouri (Morocco)
Javelin
1 Mohamed Ali Kbabou (Tunisia) 71.47
2 Ferney Kitshoff (South Africa) 69.22
3 Abdulrahmane El Ehab (Egypt) 65.63
Shot Put
1 Jan “JP” Hoffman (South Africa) 19.03 CR
2 Orazio Cremona (South Africa) 17.66
3 Moussa Diarra (Mali) 16.69
Hammer
1 Hicham Mostaha (Egypt) 66.36 CR
2 El Ashry Mabd El Hakim (Egypt) 63.51
3 Clinton Williams (South Africa) 61.51
Decathlon
1 Medhdi Mouaci (Algeria) 66.04 points
2 Nicolas Castor (Mauritius) 6346 points
3 Richard Adou Adou (Cote d’Ivoire) 4893 points
4x100m
1 South Africa 40.61
2 Burkina Faso 41.39
3 Ghana 41.46
WOMEN
100m (-1.0)
1 Constance Mkenku (South Africa) 11.65
2 Sergine Tatia Kouanga (Cameroon) 11.88
3 Fadwa Adjili (Morocco) 12.10
400m
1 Pamela Jilimo (Kenya) 54.93
2 Souliath Saka (Benin) 56.20
3 Vivian Mills (Ghana) 57.04
100m Hurdles (-1.5)
1 Tete Traore (Burkina Faso) 14.26 PB
2 Abou El Hassan Salma (Egypt) 14.41
3 Claudia Winson (South Africa) 14.48
800m
1 Lydia Wafula (Kenya) 2:06.05
2 Ahalima Hachlaf (Morocco) 2:06.13
3 Amina Bekhit (Sudan) 2:06.38
3000m
1 Emebt Etea (Ethiopia) 9:07.53
2 Bezeneshe Uregesa (Ethiopia) 9:12.10
3 Jackline Chebii (Kenya) 9:20.59
5000m
1 Mary Wachira Ngugi (Kenya) 15:50.55 CR
2 Makida Haruna (Ethiopia) 15:52.17
3 Pauline Korikwang (Kenya) 15:59.61
10000m walk
1 Bekashe Aynalem (Ethiopia) 52:53:79
2 Tegist Bedilu (Ethiopia) 54:17:69
3 Afef Trabelsi (Tunisia) 55:10:63
Long Jump
1 Yamina Hjaji (Morocco) 5.97 (+0.3)
2 Christy Coetzee (South Africa) 5.94 (+0.2)
3 Mohamed Enas (Egypt) 5.89 (+0.2)
Triple Jump
1 Yamina Hjaji (Morocco) 12.33 (+0.3)
2 Mahomed Ghardeb Enas (Egypt) 12.32 (-0.5)
3 Worokia Sanou Burkina (Faso) 12.24 (-0.6)
High Jump
1 Maraleen Pretorius (South Africa) 1.75
2 Meryem Ouhbi (Morocco) 1.61
3 Musah Salamatou Musah (Ghana) 1.55
Discus
1 Mariam Traore (Mali) 36.50m
2 Ebtehal Aboud (Libya) 36.22m
3 Rose Nacoulma (Burkina Faso) 25.19m
Hammer
1 Zacharia Noura Abdel (Egypt) 42.84
2 Ebtechal Aboud (Libya) 16.90
3 Sounia Halliche (Algeria) 13.03
4x100m
1 South Africa 46.60
2 Burkina Faso 48.10
3 Ghana 48.37
