Events
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Kenya 2010: Nigerian sprinters show class
Written by Duncan Thursday, 29 July 2010
ShareNigeria sprinters led a West African domination
of the sprint events at the start of the African Athletics championships
on Wednesday.
Unheralded Agnes Osazuwa eclipsed her
much-famous compatriots Blessing Okagbare and Damola Osayemi to set the
fastest time in qualifying in the women‘s heats.
The
23-year-old Osazuwa, a member of Nigeria‘s Olympic bronze-medal winning
relay team in Beijing timed 11.51 in winning the fourth heat, beating
veteran Cameroonian Charlotte Mebenga into second place.
Gabon‘s
Perennes Pau Milama was the second fastest qualifier in a time of 11.56
while Okagbare (11.56) and Osayemi (11.60) both won their respective
heats to reach Thursday‘s semifinals.
Nigerian men‘s
champion Obinna Metu ran the fastest time of 10.37, leading Seoud
Mostafa of Egypt to set his personal best time 10.43 in second place.
Ivorian Serge Koffi, who was third, also hit the qualifying time.
Kenyan
champion Kipkemboi Soy surprised the strong field by leading from the
start to the finish to win in a personal best time of 10.66, ahead of
Simon Mgakwe of South Africa and Devin Uri-Khob of Namibia who was
third.
The five-day championships was opened by Kenyan
President Mwai Kibaki in a colourful ceremony in a packed Nyayo National
Stadium, but around two-thirds of the crowd were school children who
were given the day off.
There was a heavy security presence in and outside the stadium after deadly bombings in neighbouring Uganda.
Police
with dogs and anti-riot police in heavy gear kept a close watch, while
spectators and athletes were searched before entering the venue.
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