South
Africa wins African Championships
Caster Semenya
Wayde Van Niekerk and Caster Semenya provided the expected
victories at the African Athletics Championships in Durban to underline their
soaring Rio 2016 ambitions and help the host nation to its eighth overall medal
table victory and a share with Nigeria of the best ever record.
On the fifth and final day of the 20th Championships, Van
Niekerk took 200 metres gold in 20.02sec ahead of Gambia’s Adama Jammeh, in
20.45, and Matadi Emmanuel of Liberia, in 20.55.
Van Niekerk had been targeting his personal best of 19.94, but
complained he had been suffering from some “tightness.”
Semenya, who already has gold at 1500m, won the 800m in 1:58.2
ahead of Malika Akkaouiu of Morocco, in 2:02.20, and Emily Cherotich of Kenya,
in 2:00.70.
Semenya then anchored the South African 4x400m relay team to
victory in a new national and championship record of 3:28.49.
That may be enough to qualify for the Rio Olympics, depending on
what other countries produce before the mid-July cut-off.
South Africa finished the competition with 16 golds, nine
silvers and eight bronzes, with Kenya
second on eight gold, eight silver and eight bronze.
Nigeria secured third place overall with four
golds.-Insidethegames
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