Athletics
SA third at African Champs
2010-08-01 21:00
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Simon Magakwe (Gallo Images)
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Johannesburg - South Africa picked up another three medals on Sunday but dropped to third place on the table on the fifth and final day of the African Athletics Championships in Nairobi, Kenya.
Having dominated from day one, with Burger Lambrechts leading a clean sweep in the men’s shot put, the South Africans lost out after superb performances from hosts Kenya, who picked up five of their 10 gold medals on the last day to top the table, and Nigeria, who added three more golds for a total of eight to place second.
South Africa took third position after securing six gold medals and bagging another seven silvers and six bronze. It was the first time in 10 years the South Africans did not finish top of the standings at the continental championships.
Sprinter Simon Magakwe earned his third medal on Sunday, picking up a second bronze in the men’s 200 metres in 20.56 seconds. The 25-year-old also placed third in the 100m final in a personal best 10.14 and led the men’s 4X100m relay team to a successful defence of their title in 39.30.
Hardus Pienaar placed second in the men’s javelin throw on the last day with a best of 75.96 metres, while Estie Wittstock secured silver in the women’s 200m sprint in 23.50, having already finished seventh in the 400m final on day three.
LJ van Zyl defended his title in the men’s 400m hurdles, winning Friday’s final in a season’s best 48.51 seconds, with national champion Cornel Fredericks running the race of his life to place second in a career best 48.79.
Two other athletes retained the titles they won in Addis Ababa in 2008, with Sunette Viljoen leading Justine Robbeson to a one-two in the women’s javelin throw final, after a best heave of 63.33m on Saturday, and Elizna Naude defending her women’s discus throw gold medal with a best effort of 56.74m on Friday.
The nation’s other gold medal was snatched up by Olympic long jump silver medallist Khotso Mokoena, who leaped to a season’s best 8.23m on day two.
Medal standings after the fifth and final day of the 17th African athletics championships (gold, silver, bronze, total):
Kenya 10 7 8 25
Nigeria 8 5 5 18
South Africa 6 7 6 19
Egypt 4 2 3 9
Algeria 3 2 3 8
Morocco 2 1 3 6
Botswana 2 1 0 3
Tunisia 2 1 0 3
Ethiopia 1 4 4 9
Senegal 1 3 2 6
Ivory Coast 1 2 1 4
Ghana 1 1 2 4
Uganda 1 1 0 2
Lesotho 1 0 1 2
Libya 1 0 0 1
Cameroon 0 3 1 4
Sudan 0 1 1 2
Gabon 0 1 1 2
Burundi 0 1 0 1
Seychelles 0 1 0 1
Togo 0 0 1 1
Madagascar 0 0 1 1
Mauritius 0 0 1 1
DR Congo 0 0 1 1