In a storybook tale of triumph over hardship, Nigerian athlete Gloria Alozie has won a silver medal in the women's 100-metre hurdles - three weeks after her fiance, Hyginus Anugo was killed in a road accident in Sydney.
She was one of four Africans who brought the continent's medal total to 15 on Wednesday.
The others were Llewellyn Herbert of South Africa, who took the bronze in the men's 400m hurdles, Algerias Aissa Djabir Said-Guerni, who won bronze in a closely-fought men's 800m race and Nouzha Bidouane of Morocco, who won the bronze medal in the women's 400m hurdles.
Wilson Kipketer of Denmark, a Kenyan by birth who was the favourite in the men's 800m, came in second to win a silver. However, he is now a Danish citizen running for his adopted country, after never being chosen for the Kenyan Olympic team.
Alozie came second in her race to Olga Shishigina of Kazakhstan, in a time of 12.68 seconds, 0.03 seconds behind the gold medallist. Melissa Morrison of the United States was third.
In Herbert's race, Angelo Taylor of the United States won gold in a time of 47.50 seconds, and Hadi Souan Somayli of Saudi Arabia silver in 47.53s. Herbert's time was 47.81s.
The upset which dislodged Kipketer in the 800m was caused by German Nils Schumann, who won the gold medal in a time of 1 minute 45.08 seconds. Kipketer was 0.06 seconds behind him, and Said-Guerni 0.08 seconds behind the winner, in a time of 1:45.16s. Hezekiel Sepeng of South Africa, who won a silver medal in Atlanta, missed a medal this year, coming in fourth behind Said-Guerni. Glody Dube of Botswana was seventh, in 1:46.24s. Russian Irina Primalova was the gold medallist in the 400m women's hurdles, with a time of 53.02s. Deon Hemmings of Jamaica took silver with 53.45s, and Bidouane's time was 53.57s.
