Chris Tsuma
5 May 2008
Addis Ababa — Florence Wasike boosted Kenya's medal tally here with a silver in the women's heptathlon.
Wasike, on her first time at the African championships, finished second with 4867 points behind Nigeria's Patience Okoro.
The Kenya Prisons Service wardress scored 886 points in 100m, 556 in high jump, 879 in the 200m 686 in long jump, 474 in javelin throw and 899 in the 800m.
She won all the track events of this seven-event contest but was let down in the jumps and throws.
In the women's 10,000m, Commonwealth Games champion Lucy Kabuu gave her all but could do little against the strong Ethiopian threesome of the Dibaba sisters, Tirunesh and Ejegayehu, and Agalew Wude who ran away with all the medals.
Sprint finish
It was a mismatch but unlike the men, Kabuu stayed in touch with the Ethiopians resisting every attempt to outrun her until she finally succumbed in the 21st lap as Tirunesh 32:49.08 sprinted to the finish to win gold followed by elder sister Ejegayehu in 32:50.36 and Wude 33:55.17.
Kenya placed three more runners in the 1,500 metres finals with Gideon Gathimba, Haron Keitany and Geoffrey Rono all making it into the final later Sunday.
Gathimba 3:48.18 was second in his qualifying race.
Keitany 3:56.07 and Rono 3:56.36 finished first and second in that order in the second heat which was run at scorching pace with the two Kenyans and South Africa's Juan Van Deventer 3:56.56 racing each other from 200m out to a tight finish.
Kenya's prosepects for medals in the women's 800m looked good after all the three entrants in the race - Faith Macharia, Pamela Chelimo and Charity Wandia, qualified for Sunday's final.
Storming run
Macharia 2:07.69 qualified as one of the two fastest third placed finishers after coming in third in the first semi final which was comfortably won by Maria Mutola in 2:0674.
Wandia strained from second last at the the 200m mark to finish second behind Namibia's Agnes Samaria who clocked 2:05.06. Chelimo produced a storming run to qualify for the final of the women's 800m.
Chelimo, running in her first international meet for Kenya calmly outpaced Ethiopian pretender Mestawot Tadesse with 200m to go to qualify at the top of the first in an impressive time of 2:03.
The women's 4x400m relay team comprising Joyce Zachary, Charity Wandia, Faith Macharia and Elizabeth are in the final. Muthoka, who anchored the race, fought to salvage the race for Kenya after a South African runner had crashed into Zachary at the second change over causing the Kenyan to drop the baton.
The men's team of Julius Bungei, George Kwoba, Thomas Musembi and Jackson Kivuva was, however, eliminated after finishing fifth.
In women's javelin, Cecilia Kiplagat finished fourth with a throw of 50.55. Sila Katonon was with in the men's triple jump with a leap of 15.79m.
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