Kenya Top Medals Table at African Athletics Championships

Kenya ended top of the medals table for a second straight time as the African Athletics Championships came to a close in Mauritius on Sunday.

The Kenyans won their tenth gold medal, and 23rd in total, on Sunday to finish ahead of South Africa, who had a gold medal less but a superior 36 overall.

Nigeria and Algeria won five golds apiece to finish third and fourth on the table, just ahead of Ethiopia and Botswana, with four golds each, at the first finals with a record 47 nations.

Burkina Faso finished with two gold medals, while six countries won one – with Niger’s Aminatou Seyni creating history in the women’s 200m.

No Nigerien had ever won a medal at the championships before and the 25-year-old, who recently beat American Allyson Felix in Ostrava, took a historic first gold medal in 23.04 seconds.

“This is my first gold medal, and this is also the first gold medal for Niger at the African Athletics Championship – I’m very pleased with it and I’m very proud,” Seyni told BBC Sport.

The 23rd edition of the Championships will take place in 2024 in Cameroon.

Agencies/BBC

Featured Image Caption: Hailemariyham Amare Tegegn on his way to winning the steeplechase at the African Championships ( Photo © Clyde Koa Wing)