Ethiopia’s Belaynah claims first medal at Douala 2024

Ethiopia’s Fantaye Belaynah won the first gold medal at the 2024 African Athletics Championships after winning the women’s 5000m race on the opening day of the 23rd competition taking place in Douala, Cameroun.

The gold medal feat for the 23-year-old long distance runner, is an improvement of the silver medal she won at the 2022 African Championships.

With only seven women in the race and coming up against another Ethiopian, three Kenyans, a Ugandan and Djiboutian, Belaynah showed no sign of slowing down as she led from start to finish, only once threatened by Kenya’s Esther Chebet and Mercy Chepkemoi whose plan to mark man her failed to work to perfection as in the final lap, the Ethiopian increased her pace and finished the race in 15 :30.10secs.

The Kenyans were denied a medal as the other Ethiopian in the race, Aschal Chekol Wubrist won silver and the athlete from Djibouti, Samia Hassan Nour, stunned the Kenyan to claim the bronze medal.

Gold for Nigeria too

Nigeria’s Enekwechi Chukwuebuka also won the first gold in the men’s competition after dominating and winning the shot put event.

A throw of 21.14m won him the gold with Egypt’s Mostafa Amr Hassan claiming the silver with a throw of 20.25m.

Another Egyptian, Mohamed Khalifa won the bronze medal with a throw of 19.72m.

Eseme, Cameroun’s hope

So far, there has been no medal for the hosts, Cameroun, yet, their hope of an early medal being their US-based, 100m champions, Emmanuel Eseme, the 2023 Africa Games gold medalist, who goes into action later on Saturday afternoon, in the 100m semi-finals.