Yomi Omogbeja (29/05/2005)

British triple jumper, Larry Onochie Achike of Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers AC led an impressive first day performance for Africans and athletes of Africa origins at the CAU Inter-Counties Championships in Bedford.

Achike foiled the quest by former Commonwealth games champion Julian Golley to win an eighth UK Inter-Counties triple jump title.

The 30-year-old, of Nigeria origin won the triple jump with his final jump of the six in 16.39 metres - a far cry from his personal best of 17.30 metres set at the Sydney 2000 Olympics - with Golley second with 16.25 metres.

He started 2005 in fine form in Australia this January with his first 17m jump for over three years 17.03w (+5.1) in Perth, plus wins at 16.78 and 16.88 in Canberra, and a legal 16.67metres to win the IAAF Super Grand Prix in Doha, Qatar on 13 May.

Surrey's Seni Majekodunmi of Nigerian parentage was placed third with a jump of 15.45 metres.

Africa's Pride

Sudan's 18-year-old Rabahi Yusuf competing for the North East ran an impressive 46.56 seconds to place second in the 400 metres behind Essex's Graham Hedman (46.37) who broke his three-year-old personal best in the process.

Nigeria's Akeem Ogunyemi of Middlesex AC narrowly missed out of the finals in the men's 100 metres, losing out to Great Britain's Olympics relay gold medallist, Darren Campbell for the final slot with both men timed 10.56 seconds. Akeem had earlier ran 10.51 seconds to place third in his heat.

In the women's 200 metres race, Shaftesbury Barnet's Emma Aina of Nigeria origin placed third behind Essex's Kim Wall (23.60 seconds) and Surrey's Donna Fraser (23.72 seconds) in a time of 23.74 seconds.