Africa's Last chances

Fourteen finals are on program on Saturday and Sunday to close the senior world athletics championships which are taking place since July 14 in Eugene in the United States. Presently, Africa which harvest is 4 Gold, 7 Silver, 4 Bronze is still far from reaching the results in the previous championships of Doha which was 9 Gold, 8 Silver and 10 Bronze.

Africa still has opportunities to win medals in certain events where its representatives dominate on the international scene. Thus, in 800m and 5000m, the African finalists (men and women) are able to get onto the podium. They will be six women on the starting line of the 5000m to run for a medal. They are Beatrice Chebet, Margaret Kipkemboi, Gloriah Kite (Kenya), Letesenbet Gidey, Dawit Seyaum and Gudaf Tsegay (Ethiopia).

 

On the men's side, 8 Africans out of the 15 finalists should be able to win everything, including Uganda’s Joshua Keptegei (already crowned in the 10,000m and world record holder in the 5,000m and 10,000m), Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega and Kenya’s Nicolas Kipkorir.

In the 800m, Algeria’s Slimane Moula set the best time in the semi-finals in 1'44''89. He will be the main asset of the continent in company of his compatriot Jamel Sedjati, and Kenya’s Emmanuel Korir (Olympic champion), Wyclife Kimyamal Kisasy, Emmanuel Nanyoni (young prodigy of 17 years).

The Nigerians Tobi Amusan (12''41 in the 100m hurdles) and Ese Brume (7m17 in the Long jump), Burkina’s Hugues Fabrice Zango (17m25 and 18m07 Indoor Triple-jump) and the Egyptian El Sayed Abdelrahman (Javelin) and the 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams can also help Africa do better than in Doha.

Like the day before, the day 8 (night from Friday to Saturday) brought nothing to Africa. South Africa’s Wayde Van Niekerk (defending 400m world champion and world record holder) finished 5th in the final in 44.77. Botswana’s Bayapo Ndori, the other African in the final fails in 6th place (45”29). It is America’s Michael Norman who wins the title of world champion in 44''29 ahead of the 2012 Olympic champion, the Grenadian Kirani James (44''48) and the British Mathieu Hudson-Smith (44''66) . The highlight of day 8 was the performance of America’s Sydney McLaughin (22 years old) who set a new world record in the 400m hurdles in 50”68.

Program of Day 9 and 10

Saturday July 23 (GMT)

4:50 p.m.: Decathlon - 100m

5:40 p.m.: Decathlon – Long jump

6:20 p.m.: Women’s 100m hurdles heats

7:00 p.m.: Women's long jump qualifications

7:10 p.m.: Decathlon – shot put

11:10 p.m. (Sunday): Decathlon – High jump

12:10 a.m.: Women’s 4x400 m heats

12:40 a.m.: Men's 4x400 m heats

1:00 a.m.: Men's triple jump final

1:10 a.m.: Men's 800m final

1:25 a.m.: Women's 5,000m final

1:35 a.m.: Men's javelin final

01h55: Decathlon - 400m

2:30 a.m.: Women's 4x100m final

2:50 a.m.: Men's 4x100m final

Sunday July 24 (GMT)

1:15 p.m.: 35 km men's race walk

4:35 p.m.: Decathlon - 110m hurdles

5:30 p.m.: Decathlon - Discus

7:15 p.m.: Decathlon - Pole vault

12:05 a.m.: Women’s 100m hurdles semi-finals

12:05a.m: Decathlon - Javelin

12:25 a.m.: Men's pole vault final

12:50 a.m.: Women’s long jump final

1:05 a.m.: Men's 5,000m final

1:35 a.m.: Women's 800m final

1 a.m.: Women's 100m hurdles final

2:20 a.m.: Decathlon - 1,500m

2:35 a.m.: Men's 4x400m final

2:50 a.m.: Women's 4x400m final