(AFP) — Ethiopia’s world and Olympic 5,000 metres champion Meseret Defar suffered a shock defeat finishing second to compatriot Meselech Melkamu at the African athletics championships on Thursday.
Melkamu, the world indoor 3000m silver medallist powered her way to an easy victory after breaking away in the last 400 metres to win in 15 minutes 49.81 seconds.
Defar beat Kenya’s Grace Momanyi in a photo-finish for second place although both runners were awarded the same time of 15:50.20.
Earlier Nigeria entered its name in the medals table when African champion Olusiji Fasuba and Damola Osayami made it a sprint double in the men’s and women 100 metres events.
It was Fasuba’s third title at these championships and the 23-year-old Nigeria said he was satisfied with his performance only four months before the Olympic Games in Beijing.
“My plans for the Olympics are good. I wasn’t ready to run 10.10 now and it came,” said Fasuba, who clocked a personal best 9.85 in Doha in 2006.
“I believe that by the time I get to the sea level and do more speedwork and some more competitions I will be able to run my time consistently”, he added
Guinea’s Fatmata Fofanah won the women’s 100m hurdles beating her Nigerian arch-rival Toyin Augustus into second place.
Fofanah, who like Augustus trains in the United States clocked 13.10 – two seconds ahead of the Nigerian with Cameroon’s Carole Kaboud Me Bam a distant third in 13.52.