Marrakech 2014: South Africa tops table, Sum and Wanjiru props Kenya – Day 5

[link id=”217″ tax=”category” text=”South Africa”] topped the medals table at the 19th African Senior Athletics Championships which ended on Thursday August 14, 2014 in Marrakech, Morocco by picking up 10 gold medals, 5 silver and 4 Bronze.

The top of the podium was completed by [link id=”5″ tax=”category” text=”Nigeria”] (8 gold, 9 silver, 7 Bronze) and [link id=”81″ tax=”category” text=”Kenya”] (7 gold, 8 silver, 10 bronze).

In all 9 new championships records were set and 21 national records were broken. With 49 countries in attendance at Marrakech 2014, 20 countries won at least one medal while 33 countries succeeded in placing at least one finalist.

Ivory Coast ([link id=”97″ tax=”category” text=”Cote d’Ivoire”]) dominated the sprint finals with African 100m champion [link id=”509″ tax=”post_tag” text=”Wilfred Koffi Hua”] setting a new national record of 20.25 secs in the men’s 200m. His compatriot and 100m silver medallist, [link id=”205″ tax=”post_tag” text=”Murielle Ahouré”] took the women’s 200m gold in a fast 22.36 secs.

Victories for the 2014 Commonwealth Games 800m champion [link id=”275″ tax=”post_tag” text=”Eunice Jepkoech Sum”] (1:59.45) in the women’s 800m and defending champion [link id=”514″ tax=”post_tag” text=”Grace Wanjiru”] (1:37:04) in women’s 20km race walk added to Kenya’s gold medal haul.

Other winners on the last day were: South Africa’s [link id=”477″ tax=”post_tag” text=”Wenda Theron Nel”] (55.32) in women’s 400m hurdles, Ethiopia’s Hiwot Ayalew (9:29.54) in women’s 3000m steeplechase, Cameroonians Auriol Sally Dongmo M (16.84m) in women’s Shot put and Joelle Mbumi Nkouindjin (14.02m) in women’s Triple jump and [link id=”5″ tax=”category” text=”Nigeria”] in the women’s 4x400m (3:28.87).

Botswana’s Kabelo Kgosiemang (2.28m) won the men’s high jump and his compatriots took the men’s 4x400m relay gold in 3:01.89.

Djibouti’s [link id=”248″ tax=”post_tag” text=”Ayanleh Souleiman”] won the men’s 1500m (3:42.49), Kenya’s [link id=”260″ tax=”post_tag” text=”Julius Yego”] took the Javelin gold (84.72m), his compatriot [link id=”478″ tax=”post_tag” text=”Caleb Mwangangi Ndiku”] (13:34.27) won the men’s  in 5000m and South Africa’s Lebogang Shange (1:26:58) took gold in the men’s 20km race walk.

The next edition, the 20th African Senior Athletics Championships, will take place in the Republic of South Africa in 2016.