The World Athletics Championships (August 19 to 27, 2023 in Budapest) ended with the coronation of the United States (12 Gold) ahead of Canada (4 Gold), Spain (4 Gold) and Jamaica (3 Gold). Kenya (3 Gold) and Ethiopia (2 Gold) are respectively 5th and 6th in the final ranking. Four other African countries; Uganda (2 Gold), Morocco (1 Gold), Burkina Faso (1 Gold) and Botswana (1 Silver) are on the medal table. Thus, the harvest of Africa is 9 Gold, 8 Silver, 9 Bronze.
The last day allowed Africa to shine in the Marathon (Men) and the 800m (Women) thanks to the success of the Uganda’s Victor Kiplangat and Kenya’s Mary Moraa. For the second time in Budapest, after the coronation of Joshua Cheptegei (in the 10,000 m), Uganda was able to cheer another world hero, Kiplangat who left his main competitors behind at 3 km from the finish line to win the supreme title in 2H08 min 53sec. Israeli Maru Teferi won the silver medal, clocking 2:09:12. Ethiopian Leul Gebresilase had to settle for bronze in 2:09:19.
Kenya's Moraa danced for joy after a fierce 800m fight in Budapest. She resisted attacks from Great Britain's Keely Hodgkinson and America’s Athing Mu to win her first world gold medal in 1'56''03.
Hodgkinson is second in 1:56.34, while Mu settles for the bronze medal in 1.56.61.
Much was expected from Africa in the men's 5000m final, but it was Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen who won gold in 13'11''30 and took his revenge after being beaten in the 1500m final. Kenya's Jacob Krop took the bronze in 13:12.28.
Disappointment was in women’s 3000m steeplechase where Africa had great ambitions. It was Bahraini of Kenyan origin Winfred Mutile Yavi who rose to the challenge posed by her most seasoned rivals to win the title in 8:54.29, the fifth fastest time in history. Beatrice Chepkoech (world record holder) is credited with 8:58.98 for silver. Her compatriot, 19-year-old U20 world champion Faith Cherotich, took bronze in 9:00.69.
AFRICAN MEDALS
