African Games Medal Table: Final Rankings As Nigeria Tops in Athletics, Ghana Climbs to 5th

• Nigeria completely dominated the athletics medal rankings
• The West African giants had 11 gold medals to their name
• Sports Brief looks at the athletics table at the African Games

Team Nigeria showcased its dominance in track and field events at the closing African Games, clinching the leading position in athletics rankings and surpassing both Ethiopia and Kenya.

Despite Egypt's overall dominance in all disciplines, with an impressive haul of 187 total medals, Nigeria's prowess in athletics remained unparalleled.

What has Nigeria's performance been in athletics?

African Queen of hurdles, Tobi Amusan's stellar performances inspired Nigeria to claim the top spot in the athletics rankings, a position they maintained throughout the entire phase of the competition.

The 26-year-old showcased her exceptional talent by capturing two gold medals for her country.

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Tobi Amusan works wonders in Accra

In the women's 100-meter hurdles, 'Tobi Express' overcame a disqualification scare to claim her third successive gold with a time of 12.89 seconds, as cited by Sports Brief.

She then played a pivotal role as the anchor in the 4x100m women's relay, guiding her team to another gold medal.

Nigeria edges Ghana in men's 4x100m relay

Inspired by Amusan's success, the male relay team dethroned Ghana as the fastest nation on the continent, clinching gold in the 4x100m relay by the narrowest of margins.

Other athletics victories

Adding to Nigeria's medal haul, the 4x400m mixed relay team secured gold on Tuesday, March 19, setting a new record with a time of 3:13.26.

Additionally, Chidi Okezie's remarkable come-from-behind victory in the men's 400m final further solidified Nigeria's dominance on the track.

Building on their momentum, Amaechi Obiageri and Onyekwere Chioma secured gold and silver, respectively, in the women's discus throw event, while Kemi Francis Petersen earned silver in the women's heptathlon.

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In the women's long jump competition, Brume Ese clinched gold, accompanied by Ochonogor Prestina Oluchi, who claimed the bronze medal, completing a remarkable showing for Team Nigeria.

On the field, Nnamdi Chinecherem, the national record holder in the men's javelin throw, successfully defended his title by launching his javelin to a distance of 78.07 metres.

Ethiopia vs Kenya: Who leads the long-distance battle?

The longstanding rivalry between Ethiopia and Kenya in long-distance running was once again spotlighted at this year's multisport games in Accra, Ghana.

Kenya made strides in narrowing the gap with its long-distance rival. However, on the final day of competition, Ethiopia surged past the East Africans to secure the second spot, thanks to their superior counts of gold and silver medals.

Despite Kenya having a higher overall medal count of 20 compared to Ethiopia's 18 at the African Games, Ethiopia's seven gold medals were particularly noteworthy.

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Bogale Melak's exceptional performance in the men's 10,000 metres contributed significantly to Ethiopia's gold medal tally. His victory meant that Kenya's Evans Kiptum had to settle for bronze in the event.

Furthermore, Samuel Firewu Debisa outperformed the Kenyan duo of Serem Amos and Kiprop Simon to clinch victory in the men's 3,000-metre steeplechase, adding another gold medal to Ethiopia's collection.

Ethiopia asserted its dominance in the women's 5,000 metres, securing all podium positions with Kumanda Medina Eisa, Birtukan Kesete, and Melkat Shaarew, showcasing their excellence in long-distance running.

On the other hand, Kenya regained pride in the women's 10,000-metre final, with Chepngetich Janeth emerging victorious.

She outpaced Ethiopia's Belew Kefale and Tekan Behre to claim the top spot, showcasing Kenya's prowess in the discipline.

2023 African Games Athletics Final Rankings

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Tobi Amusan breaks silence after success

Sports Brief also reported on Amusan securing her third consecutive gold in the 100m hurdles at the African Games, solidifying her status as the dominant force on the track.

In her post-race remarks, as reported by Citi Sports, Amusan attributed her success to divine intervention, acknowledging the challenges she faced to compete.

She also expressed gratitude for the opportunity to defend her title, emphasising the honour of representing her family, herself, and her nation on the international stage.