Namibia's Herunga wins second medal in Maputo

Submitted by Namibia Sport on 16 September 2011 - 1:27am

Tjipekapora Herunga won her second medal at the All Africa Games on Thursday evening when she finished third in the women's 200m final in a new Namibian record time of 23.50 seconds.

Herunga entered the home straight in fourth position but finished strongly to snatch the bronze medal behind the winner Oludamola Osayomi of Nigeria (22.86) and Anim Vida of Ghana who won the silver medal in 23.06 seconds.

Herunga's time improved her previous national record of 23.73 seconds while it was her second medal of the Games, following on the bronze medal that she won in the women's 400m.

Herunga was elated with the win, saying that she did not expect it.

"This is a big surprise because I didn't think I could do well in the 200m. I just took a chance but it paid off and now I have won two medals at the All Africa Games," she said.

Herunga's medal increased Namibia's total medal haul to seven at the Games, consisting of one gold, one silver and five bronze medals.

Herunga's 200m team mate Globine Mayova however crashed out of the race with a hamstring injury. Mayova entered the home stretch slightly ahead of Herunga and would have also been a strong medal contender but with about 50 metres her race was over as she pulled up with a hamstring injury.

In the women's shotput event Namibia's Charlene Engelbrecht finished sixth overall with a distance of 13.65m. It was outside her personal best of 13.93m for the event.

Earlier Engelbrecht came fourth overall in the women's discus final with a distance of 44.68m, which was well off her personal best distance of 46.10m.

On Wednesday evening, Hardus Maritz came seventh in the men's 400m hurdles final in a time of 52.29 seconds.