Former world under 20 3,000m steeplechase champion Amos Serem, yesterday won the 3,000m steeplechase silver medal at the ongoing Africa Games in Accra, Ghana.
Serem timed 8:25.77 to finish second behind Ethiopian Samuel Debisa (8:24.30) with another Kenyan Simon Kiprop settling for bronze at 8:26.19 while Edmund Serem, the younger brother to Amos came 6th in 8:31.21.
It was a disappointing outing for world 3,000m steeplechase record holder Beatrice Chepkoech who failed to shine in the 5,000m with Ethiopians sweeping the podium when Medina Eisa won the race in 15:04.32 followed by Birtukan Mollan (15:05.32 ) and Melkat Shaarew (15:07.04).
It was an easy win for world 800m champion Mary Moraa in the women’s 400 when she clocked 52.18 to sail to the next round in the one lap race followed by Malawi’s Asimenye Simwaka (53.32) and Seychelles’ Georgiana Sesay (53.35).
Another Kenyan Jackline Nanjala sailed to the second round in third position at 54.11 with Zambia’s Rodah Njobvu (52.03) won the heat while Senegalese Fatou Gaye was second in 53.26.
In the 400m, Kennedy Kimeu and David Sanayek impressed in their respective heats to sail to the semi-finals. Kimeu won his heat in 46.30 seconds ahead of Senegalese Hadji Malik (46.48) and Zimbabwe’s Zuze Ledford (47.29).
On the other hand, Sanayek was second in the second heat in 46.18 behind Nigeria’s Okezie Chidi who won the heat in 45.89. Senegalese Ndiaye Abode Aziz finished third in the heat in 47.05.
In the women’s 800m, all the two Kenyans swept to the final. Vivian Chebet qualified in Heat 1, where she finished second in 2:02.36, behind
Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma. Uganda Susan Aneno placed third in 2:04.73.
Another Kenyan Lilian Odira won her heat in 2:04.86 ahead of EthiopianGenale Aster (2:05.05) and Morocco’s Raziki Assia (2:09.33).