Africa again had a clean sweep in a long-distance race Saturday, when her runners took all three medals in the men's 5,000m race. Her athletes won two medals in the women's 10,000m race, and one each in the women's 1,500m and the high jump.
Millon Wolde of Ethiopia won gold in the 5,000m with a time of 13 minutes, 35.49 seconds, followed by Ali Saidi-Sief of Algeria, 0.71 seconds behind him. Brahim Lahlafi of Morocco won bronze in 13:36.47s.
In the 10,000m event, Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia regained her Olympic title in a record run of 30 minutes, 17.2 seconds, with compatriot Gete Wami winning silver in 30:22.48s. Fernando Ribeiro of Portugal was third. Tulu's run also established a new African record.
Nouria Merah-Benida of Algeria provided the upset of the day for the Sydney crowd by beating more fancied runners to win the gold medal in the women's 1,500m in a time of 4:05.10s.
Hestrie Cloete of South Africa secured the silver medal with a jump of 2.01m in the women's high jump.
As in the men's 10,000m race on Monday, the top six places in the 5,000 race were taken by Africans, with Fita Bayissa of Ethiopia, David Chelule of Kenya and Dagne Alemu of Ethiopia taking from fourth to sixth places.
