Kenyan Athletes Shine at Africa Athletics Senior Championships

The Africa Athletics Senior Championships in Douala, Cameroon, witnessed a spectacular display of speed, endurance, and determination as Kenyan athletes clinched top honours in various events. Sarah Moraa and Alex Ng’eno led the charge, winning gold medals in the women’s and men’s 800m races, respectively.

Moraa’s impressive time of 2:00.27 in the women’s 800m race saw her lead a 1-2 Kenyan finish, with national champion Lilian Odira closely following in second place with a time of 2:00.36. Moroccan Soukaina Hajji secured bronze with a time of 2:00.91.

Ng’eno’s gun-to-tape performance in the men’s 800m race was equally impressive, as he clocked a time of 1:45.02 to take the gold medal. Botswana’s Kethobogile Hanguira took silver with a time of 1:45.54, while Ugandan Tom Dradriga secured bronze with a time of 1:46.01. Ng’eno’s victory demonstrated his exceptional endurance and tactical prowess.

The men’s 3000m steeplechase saw Kenya secure silver and bronze medals, with Africa Under-20 champion Edmond Serem clocking a time of 8:21.94 to take silver and Matthew Kosgei timing 8:21.98 to secure bronze. Ugandan Leonard Chemutai ran away with gold in 8:21.30.

One of the standout performances came from javelin star Julius Yego, who threw a season’s best of 79.62m to secure a historic fourth straight title. Yego, the world champion in 2015, expressed his delight at the victory, stating that it has given him a boost ahead of the World Championships in the United States next month.

Bonface Mweresa, another Kenyan athlete in action, finished fourth in the men’s 400m final with a time of 45.62, narrowly missing out on a medal.

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The Africa Senior Athletics Championships drew to a close yesterday, with Kenya dominating the medal table. The Kenyan team secured a total of 23 medals, including 10 golds, to finish ahead of South Africa and Nigeria.

The championships also served as a qualifying event for the Paris Olympics, and the Kenyan team will be looking to build on their success in the run-up to the games.