2022 African Athletics Championships: Ferdinand Omanyala and Gina Bass set fast times in the 100m semis as Abraham Tiumay win 10,000m Gold on the opening day of the African Championships

Ferdinand Omanyala and Gina Bass set fast times in the 100m semis as Abraham Tiumay win 10,000m Gold on the opening day of the African Championships

The 22nd edition of the African Athletics Championships kicked off with a lot of fanfare and buzz inside the newly built Cote D’Or Sports complex in Mauritius, with the world leader in the men’s 100m Ferdinand Omanyala providing the highlight of the day while Ethiopia’s Abraham Tiumay led a 1-2 for the East African Nation to win the first medals on the track on Day 1.

Ferdinand Omanyala, 2022 African Athletics Championships, Day 1, photo by Deji Ogeyingbo for RunBlogRun

With light showers coming and conditions glacial in the morning, Omanyala breezed through his heats in 10.05 (+2.2), conquering his semifinal race in the evening, one he seemed not to be happy with the switch of lanes and reshuffle of the race heats. Still, the bulky Kenyan came through unscathed in 10.07s (+2.2) to make it into tomorrow’s final.

Akani Simbine, 2022 African Athletics Championships, photo by Deji Ogeyingbo for RunBlogRun

His major challenger will come in the form of defending champion Akani Simbine who weathered the storm to put himself in good stead towards retaining his crown. Slow off the blocks, the 2018 Commonwealth Games Champion held off strong competition from Liberia’s Emmanuel Matadi and Nigeria’s Raymond Ekevwo to win in a wind-aided time of 10.09.

Elsewhere, Cameroon’s Eserne Alobwede qualified fastest in the second semifinal as he clocked 10.19s for the win, with South Africa’s Henricho Bruintjies making it through from that heat.

Gina Bass, 2022 African Athletics Championships, photo by Deji Ogeyingbo for RunBlogRun

In the women’s draw, The Gambia’s Gina Bass ran a National Record of 11.08s to top the qualifies in the first semifinal, with Niger’s Aminatou Seyni clocking a windy 11.05 to claim victory in her heat. South Africa’s record holder over the 100m, Carina Horn, ran a season’s best of 11.08s with Nigeria’s Tima Godbless and Kenya’s Maxi Imali taking second and third.

The Men’s 10,000m, 2022 African Athletics Championships, photo by Deji Ogeyingbo for RunBlogRun

Abraham Mongos Tuimay won the men’s 10,000m by a canter with the crowd cheering him all the way as he ran unchallenged on the home straight. His compatriot Gudeta Chimesa followed him through the line in second place with 29.22.74, while Kenya’s Abraham Longos completed the top three in 23:29.02.

Bayepo Ndori, 400m, 2022 African Athletics Championships, photo by Deji Ogeyingbo for RunBlogRun

In the men’s 400m first round, Botswana’s Bayepo Ndori was the fastest qualifier, racing to a time of 45.31, while Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga was not far off with 45.48s. Winners of other heats include Tunisia’s Emmanuel Glassi (46.52), Shezi Timisang (47.20), Zambia’s Patrick Nyabe (46.68), and Zambia’s Ngozi Zibine (46.45), and Namibia’s Alexandra Bock (46.49).

Allan Cumming and Shepang Makhete made it a 1-2 for South Africa in the men’s hammer throw final, with Egypt’s Alaaeldin Elshary taking bronze. In the women’s Shot-Put final, South Africa’s Senekal Ischke won the first gold medal of the African Athletics Championships taking place in Mauritius. The 2019 African Games Champion in Rabat won the women’s Shot Put with 16.40m as she defended her crown from Asaba.

Senekal Ischke, Shot Put Champion, 2022 African Athletics Championships, photo by Deji Ogeyingbo for RunBlogRun

Defending champion in the men’s 110m Hurdles, Antonio Alkana ran a windy 13.35s (+2.7m/s) to win his heat easily, with Liberia’s Zaza Wellington posing a potential threat ahead of the final as he clocked 13.53s.

Antonio Alkana, 110m hurdles, 2022 African Athletics Championships, photo by Deji Ogeyingbo for RunBlogRun