FLASH: Sprint double for Nigeria, Guinea win first gold

Nigerian duo Olusoji Fasuba and Damola Osayemi won the men’s and women’s 100m to move Nigeria to joint top of the medal in the second day of action at the 16th CAA African Athletics Championships (30 April- 4 May 2008).

The 22-year old, who is the All-African Games 100m/200m double champion, took victory in 11.22 ahead of Ghana’s defending champion Vida Anim and Cameroon’s Delphine Atangana.

In the men’s 100m, Nigeria’s Olusoji Fasuba comfortably defended his African title thanks to a 10.10 performance ahead of compatriot Uchenna Emedolu with South African Hannes Dreyer, the fastest qualifier in yesterday’s heats, beating Burkina Faso’s medal hopeful Idrissa Sanou to bronze.

Both performances were Addis Ababa stadium records and propelled Nigeria to the top of the medal standings with five medals (2 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze) with Egypt and hosts Ethiopia in second and third place.

"I know it is going to be a good year for me, because there is no way I am ready to run 10.10 now,” said an ecstatic Fasuba. “There are lots of good youngsters coming through now and African sprinting is on its way back up, I nearly got knocked out because the competition was tough but I had a good start and am pleased the result.”

Osayemi on her part said, “It was so great, I loved beating the defending champion. I worked hard to be here and I didn't let the false starts bother me, I stayed focused on the run. The preparations for Beijing are going well, I believe I can get a medal and I am good enough to win the Olympics because of God. I am very happy with my time as its so early in the season.”

The biggest surprise of the action this afternoon came in the women’s 110m hurdles where Fatuma Feofanah got the better of Nigerian race favourite Toyin Augustus to give Guinea its first gold of the championships. Her 13.10 was a national record and a performance significantly better than the 13.51 that won her bronze in Algiers last year.

“There was a lot of pressure on me because this is Guinea's first ever gold medal in the African Championships,” said Feofanah. “I have also been sick for the past two days. This is only my second competition of the season and therefore this is a great time.”