CAA (File)

Nairobi - South Africa defended three titles on Friday and held on to their lead at the top of the medals table, although the hosts drew level on day three of the African Athletics Championships in Nairobi, Kenya.

LJ van Zyl, Elizna Naude and the men’s 4X100m relay team retained the titles they won in Addis Ababa two years ago, giving South Africa a total of five gold, two silver and three bronze medals.

Kenya secured a clean sweep in the men’s 800m, with David Rudisha winning in a stunning 1:42.84 to ensure the host nation drew level with the South Africans, who have finished top of the table at the last four continental championships.

Van Zyl, who will defend his Commonwealth Games title in Delhi, India in October, won the men’s 400m hurdles in a season’s best 48.51 seconds.

South African champion Cornel Fredericks ran the race of his life to place second in 48.79, improving his career record by 0.2 seconds, with Senegal’s Mamadou Kasse Hanne taking third in 49.10.

Shrugging off a niggling injury, Naude needed a 56.74m sixth-round effort to clinch gold in the women’s discus throw ahead of Kazai Suzanne Kragbe of the Ivory Coast, who placed second with a best of 55.53m.

“I tried to get a good distance from my first few throws because I knew it would hurt more as the final progressed,” said Naude, who will also defend her Commonwealth title this year.

“I took the early lead but I wasn’t expecting the second girl to throw as far as she did and I had to dig deep with my last attempt.” Simon Magakwe, who secured the bronze medal in the men’s 100m sprint on Thursday, led the nation’s only relay team at the championships to a successful defence of their continental title in 39.12 seconds.

Nigeria finished second in 39.22, with Ghana taking third in 39.31.