Fasuba wins, Melkamu shocks Defar in Addis 2008

World Indoor 60m champion Olusoji Fasuba of Nigeria retained his African 100m crown and Ethiopian Meselech Melkamu defeated World champion Meseret Defar for the first time in the 5000m at the 16th CAA African Athletics Championships in Addis Ababa.

Fasuba, the African 100m record-holder with 9.85 seconds, cruised to a 10.10 seconds win ahead of compatriot Uchenna Emedolu who settled for the silver medal in 10.21 seconds. South Africa's Hannes Dreyer took the bronze medal in 10.24 seconds.

He said: “I came to this competition not prepared but just to see what I could do. I know this is high altitude but I believe I can get better than this by the Olympics."

“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 I am pleased with the result,” Fasuba added.

In the women's 100m, All-African Games 100m/200m double champion, Damola Osayomi, took the gold medal in 11.22 seconds ahead of reigning champion Vida Anim of Ghana (11.43) and Cameroon’s Delphine Atangana (11.46) who were second and third respectively.

Their commanding performances put Nigeria as joint top on the medal standing with Day One leader Ethiopia with five medals (2 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze), whilst Egypt and South Africa in second and third place.

Guinean Fatuma Feofanah, born in Sierra Leone,  gave her adopted country their first gold medal in the 29th year history of the African championships.

Feofanah set a new national record of 13.10 seconds in the women's 100m hurdles while posting a shock but narrow win over race favourite and defending champion Toyin Augustus of Nigeria who had to settle for silver in 13.12 seconds. Cameroon's Carole Kaboud Me Bam took bronze in 13:52 seconds.

Morocco’s Barrabah Yahya won the men’s long jump in 8.04m ahead of Mauritius’ Jonathan Chimier (7.99m) and Stefan Louw (7.08m), who won silver and bronze respectively.

Melkamu stuns Defar

Ethiopia Meselech Melkamu, the 2004 World junior cross country and 5000m champion produced an outstanding sprint finish to dethrone the defending African 5000m and Olympic champion Meseret Defar in the women's 5000m.

Melkamu, 23, who was ninth at the 36th IAAF World Cross Country championships in Edinburgh and lost to Defar six weeks ago at the 12th IAAF World Indoor championships in Valencia, produced an outstanding sprint finish to win in 15:49.81.

Defar settled for silver medal after narrowly edging out Kenyan Grace Momanyi who took the bronze medal with both women credited with 15:50.19.

Melkamu told the media after the race: "This was one of the biggest races I have run because I have never beaten Defar before.

"I thought I was going to be second, but I have trained hard since she beat me in the World indoors and beating Defar in my own country gives me great pride."

Day two results

Results
 
WOMEN 100m
1. 5 322 Damola OSAYOMI - 11.22
2. 4 154 Vida ANIM - 11.43
3. 8 57 Delphine ATANGANA - 11.46
4. 1 323 Franca IDOKO - 11.47
5. 6 324 Gloria KEMASOUDE - 11.47
6. 7 444 Geraldine PILLAY - 11.53
7. 2 58 Myriam Leonie MANI - 11.60

MEN 100m
1. 6 350 Olusoji FASUBA - 10.10
2. 5 354 Uchenna EMEDOLU - 10.21
3. 3 472 Hannes DREYER - 10.24
4. 4 858 Idrissa SANOU - 10.41
5. 1 312 Kaanjuka HITJIVIRUE - 10.50
6. 8 142 Wilfried BINGANGOYE - 10.54
7. 7 759 Aziz OUHADI - 11.13

Women 100mH
1. 5 196 Fatmata FOFANAH 0.134 13.10 NR
2. 4 328 Toyin AUGUSTUS 0.126 13.12
3. 6 61 Carole M. KABOUD ME BAM 0.151* 13.52
4. 8 452 Christine RAS 0.106 13.82

Women 5000m
1. 664 Meselech MELKAMU ETH 15:49.81
2. 663 Meseret DEFAR ETH 15:50.19
3. 212 Grace MOMANYI KEN 15:50.19
4. 665 Belaynesh FEKADU ETH 15:50.49