Global Sports
Athletics
Melkamu Wins 5,000 Meters at African Athletics Championships
Nigerians Dominate in the Sprints
May 02, 2008
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - Meselech Melkamu of Ethiopia upset
an ailing Meseret Defar on Thursday in the women's 5,000 meters at
the African Athletics Championships.
Melkamu won in 15 minutes, 49 seconds, a second ahead of
compatriot Defar and third-place finisher Grace Momanyi of Kenya.
Defar, who holds the world record in the event, led early but
fell behind about halfway through the race. She collapsed after
finishing and had ice applied to her right ankle. Defar then stood
up and took a few steps before doubling over in pain and vomiting
on the track.
Nigerian runners dominated in the short-distance races. Olusoji
Fasuba won the men's 100 and Uchenna Emedolu was second. Damola
Osayomi won the women's 100.
Guinea won its first medal when Fatama Fofana won the women's
100 hurdles.
Olympic 10,000-meter champion Kenenisa Bekele said he pulled out
of the meet because he didn't have enough time to rest before the
event. Bekele won his record sixth world cross-country title in
March. Bekele said he plans to defend his 10,000 title at the
Beijing Olympics.
AP-CS-05-01-08 1245EDT
Ethiopians Lead With Clean-Sweep of Medals in Opening-Day Men’s 10,000m
Wednesday April 30, 2008
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - The 16th CAA African Athletics Championships
opened in Ethiopia with three world-class long distance runners from the
host country making a clean sweep of the medals.
Gebregziabher Gebremariam, the 25 years old sixth place finisher in
last year's Osaka, Japan World Athletics Championships, took the gold in
28 minutes 17.11 seconds. He was followed by fellow Ethiopians Ibrahim Jeylan and Eshetu Wondimu
in times of 28 minutes 30.66 seconds and 28 minutes 56.36 seconds
respectively. Jeylan, the world junior champions adds to his growing
record by beating Wondimu, the Ethiopian national champion for the
silver.
This is a remarkable comeback for Gebremariam who had had a very poor
outing last month in Edinburgh, Scotland during the 36th IAAF World
Cross Country Championships where he came in 17th. Last year, in the All
Africa Games, he had taken the bronze medal.
The Ethiopian trio led the pack almost from the outset, cheered on by a crowd
of nearly 25,000 spectators. After the second lap Wondimu took the lead and
began to dictate the pace. His country men soon met up with him and together
they picked up the pace. After about the fifth lap Gebremarian began to pull
away from the others. By the half-way mark, he was at least 90 meters ahead of
second finisher, Jeylan.
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