Race walk queen Emily Ngii might have retained her title at the Africa Games but the inspiring performances by decathlon athlete Edwin Kimutai Too and triple jumper Winny Chepng’etich wouldn’t go unnoticed.
Ngii retained her title for Kenya’s first victory at the Games on Wednesday morning when she clocked one hour, 37 minutes and 34 seconds.
The Africa champion edged out Teshager Sintayehu Masire from Ethiopian to second place in 1:38:07 as Azzi Souad denied Kenya’s Silvia Kemboi a podium place to snatch bronze in 1:39:43.
World 800m champion Mary Moraa made history as the third Kenyan woman to win the 400m at the Africa Games, clocking 50.57 seconds in the final.
Moraa achieved the feat after 37 years to firmly follow in the footsteps of Tekla Chemabwai and Francisca Chepkurui, who won at the 1973 Lagos and 1987 Nairobi Games.
Moraa beat Nigerian Esther Joseph (51.61) and Sita Sibiri (NR51.74) of Burundi who settled for silver and bronze medals respectively.
The tally brought to 10 medals that Kenya had collected in athletics at the African Games; two gold, four silver and four bronze.
However, compatriot, three-time African champion, Samuel Gathimba relinquished his African Games race walk title to Ethiopia’s Misgana Wakuma Fekansa, losing in a sprint finish by 0.1 seconds.
Gathimba clocked 1:28:06 against Fekansa’s 1:28:05 as Algerian Ismail Benhammouda wound over three seconds off the pace in 1:31:12.
Tuesday evening will remain memorable for Too and United States-based college student, Chepng’etich, who claimed precious silvers, the first by the country in over three decades.
Too finally broke the national decathlon record that had stood for 42 years to also hand Kenya a medal in the event for the first time in 37 years.
The history-making 28-year-old Too, from Kenya Prisons Service, collected 7,140 points to settle for silver, the best ever performance by a Kenyan at the Games.
Too lost the battle to South African Fredriech Pretorious, who scored 7550 points to claim gold, improving from the bronze won at the 2015 Congo Brazzaville Games.
Too made history as the second Kenyan to win a medal in decathlon at the Games after Geoffrey Seurey got bronze in 6,918 during the 1987 African Games held in Nairobi.
Legendary Charles Kokoyo, who represented Kenya twice at the Commonwealth Games in 1978 Edmonton, Canada and 1982 Brisbane, Australia, held the previous national record of 7,118 points attained at the Brisbane “Club” Games.
Interestingly, Too had broken the national record twice this year but it was not ratified owing to several factors.
Too first won the third Athletics Kenya (AK) Track and Field Meeting with a score of 7,359 on January 27 at Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi but the wind gauge failed to read off his events hence not ratified.
Too collected 7,305 points during the Africa Games trials on March 6, at the Nyayo National Stadium but one of the throw events was done at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani. Ideally, all the 10 events must be held at the same venue for any record to stand.
Chepng’etich, the triple jump national record holder, became the second Kenyan woman to ever win a medal in triple jump when she settled for silver, the best ever by a Kenyan woman in the Games.
Chepng’etich, who swung into gold position with her third attempt of 13.47metres, made her sixth and final leap of 13.64m.
However, her dream to hand Kenya its maiden victory in the event fell short when Ruth Usoro from Nigeria leapt a huge 13.80m in her fourth attempt to hold on to win.
Kenya had collected eight medals in athletics; one gold, four silver and three bronze by Wednesday morning.
On Tuesday, Vivian Chebet and Evans Kiptum gave Kenya bronze medals in women's 800m and men's 10,000m as world 800m champion Mary Moraa anchored the 4x400m mixed relay team to bronze medal.
