SAWE MAKES HISTORY: Kenyan wins gold in high jump at Africa Championships
Athletics
By
RODGERS ESEKON
| Jun 26, 2016
Mathew Sawe became the first Kenyan to win gold in high jump, as he cleared 2.21m in day three of the Africa Championships, on Friday night in Durban, South Africa.
Sawe disappointed the home crowd by outclassing home boy and favourite Fourie Keagan, who took silver in 2.18m as Cameroon’s Fernand Djoumessi (2.15m) settled for bronze.
Sawe’s gold was the second of the night for Kenya, after Boniface Mucheru had earlier beat a classy field in the men 400m hurdles title to claim victory.
Mucheru (49.20), 2015 IAAF World Championships finalist, beat Amadou Ndiaye of Senegal (49.41) while Haron Koech — twin brother of world 400m hurdles champion Nicholas Bett — took bronze in 49.41.
South Africa’s, 2011 world bronze medalist Lj van Zyl (49.5) was fourth as Kenya’s Kiprono Koech came a distant seventh in 51.8.
In the women 400m, Margaret Nyairera (52.2) gave Kenya silver with Kabange Mupopo of Zambia comfortably grabbing gold in 51.46.
Nigeria’s Patience Okon took bronze while Lydia Jele of Botswana (52.4) was fourth.
However, it was not all joy for Kenya as this year’s showpiece became the first continental championship since Tunisia 2002 that Kenya had failed to win gold in the men’s steeplechase.
Ethiopia, Kenya’s bitter rivals in middle distance races landed the blow, with Chala Techo (8:21.02) leading compatriot Gigsa Nurgi (8:22.79) in an Ethiopian 1-2. Abraham Kibiwott took bronze, stopping the clock at 8:24.19, just ahead of another Kenyan Phenus Kipleting who was fourth in 8:26.1.
Another disappointment for Kenya in the night was witnessed in the men’s 400m, where Raymond Kibet (46.80) and former World Youth silver medalist Alphas Kishoiyan (47.0) finished sixth and seventh.
The race was won by Botswana’s Baboloki Thebe (44.69), as African junior champion Karabo Sibanda (45.42) also of Botswana took silver and Nigeria’s Chidi Okezie (45.76) settled for bronze.
In the men’s 800m, Olympic silver medalist Nijel Amos won a tough duel with newcomer South African Jacob Rozani to take gold in 1:45.11.
Amos held off Rozani (1:45.38) who took silver while Rynhardt Van Rensburg (1:46.2) was third.