Jemal Mekonnen of Ethiopia won the first medal at the 21st African Athletics Championship in Asaba on Wednesday.

Jemal-Mekonnen-of-Ethiopia-wins-first-Gold-medal-at-CAA-Asaba-2018-African-Athletics-Championship-dailysportcast
Jemal Mekonnen of Ethiopia
In an intense display of endurance and stamina in the 10,000 meters race final, Kenya led the race for most of the laps but Ethiopia dug deep to race away to gold and silver places, while Uganda, clinched third place for bronze.

AclSports reports Mekonnen finished in 29:08.01 seconds to win the 10,000 metres men’s final ahead of his compatriot Andamalak Berta who took silver in 29:11.09 seconds.


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10,000m results from #Asaba2018 CAA
Gold - Jemal Mekonnen ��- 29:08.01
Silver - Andamlak Berta ��- 29:11.09
Bronze - Timothy Toroitch ��- 29:11.87

1:33 AM - Aug 2, 2018
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Jemal Yimer Mekonnen(Ethiopia). 2nd position Andamalak Belilu Beata. 3rd placed Timothy TOROITICH of Uganda. CAA Asaba 2018
Timothy Toroitich of Uganda finished with a bronze medal in 29:11.87 seconds.

However, Josphate Bett of Kenya, who finished seventh in the race, blamed his performance on his late arrival in Asaba for the championship.

“Even though the competition has been good so far, but I would have done better if we had arrived early and had a good rest and training before the race,’’ he said.

Bett regretted that Kenya, being the team with the race’s defending champion, could not produce at least one of the three final winners due to the challenges faced by the team.

“We arrived in Asaba about three hours to the competition. So, this affected me. I feel I would have done better,” he said.

In 100m men’s event which took place on Wednesday, South Africa Akani Simbine raced to a first-place finish in a time of 10.30 secs in heat 4. Karrim Riffaya was second in 10:48 secs behind the Commonwealth champion while Kenya’s Mark Odhiambo was third in a time of 10:61secs.

Enoch Adegoke of Nigeria could still make the semi-final as one of the best losers after placing 4th in 10:64 secs.

In heat 1, defending champion Ben Youssef Meite of Coted I’voire won the race in 10:41 secs, South Africa’s Simon Magakwe finished second in 10:42 secs while Nigeria’s Ogho-Oghene Egwero placed third in 10:52 secs.

Ivorian Arthur Cisse won heat 2 in 10:43 secs ahead of Roscoe Engel in second in 10:62 secs while Assan Faye of Gambia was third in 10:78 secs.

Three-time national champion, Seye Ogunlewe won the final 100m heat in 10:42 secs ahead of Namibia’s Gilbert Hanuga in 10:44 secs.

In heat 5, Ngoni Makusha of Zimbabwe was first in 10.37 secs ahead of Karabo Mothibi in 10.46 secs and Emmanuel Yeboah in 10.50 secs in third.

Earlier, Making of Champions’ sensation, Joy Udo-Gabriel was the first Nigerian to qualify to the semi-final in 11:64 secs. The national junior champion sawoff Gambia’s Gina Bass in second in 11:74 secs and Natacha Akamabi in third in a time of 11:78 secs.

African record holder, Marie Jose Ta Lou had no problem in heat 1 as she won the race in 11:25 seconds ahead of Ghana’s Janet Amposah in 11.63 secs and Cassidy Williamson of South Africa in 11.79 secs.

In heat 2, South Africa’s Tebogo Mamatu who ran a time of 11:90 secs finished ahead of Ivorian Nanzie Adeline in second.

Nigeria’s Mercy Ntia-Obong placed second in 11:66 secs behind Basant Hemida who won in 11:60 while Ghana’s Halutie Hor was third in 11:77 secs.

The men and women’s semi-finals will take place on Thursday.

The opening ceremony and match past took place after the 10,000m race.

A total number of 53 countries are participating in this year’s African Athletics Championship in Asaba.

It’s Jemal Mekonnen of Ethiopia who clinched the first gold medal of the African Athletics Championship on day one. Read more…
SOURCE: www.dailysportcast.com | https://dailysportcast.com/caa-asaba-2018-ethiopias-jemal-mekonnen-wins-first-medal-in-10000m/