Tokyo 2021: Zango first medalist of Burkina Faso, Ghana in the 4X100m final
Hugues Fabrice Zango offered the first Olympic medal to Burkina Faso on August 5 in Tokyo.
REUTERS - DYLAN MARTINEZ
Text by: Tom Rossi Follow
9 mins
The Burkinabè Hugues Fabrice Zango illuminated this Olympic day by winning the bronze medal in the triple jump, the first in the history of his country.
Later, the Ghanaian sprinters created a surprise by validating their ticket for the final of the 4X100 meters.
Find all the results of African athletes engaged in the Tokyo Olympics this Thursday, August 5.
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ATHLETICS
Men's triple jump
The Burkinabè Hugues Fabrice Zango
offered the
first Olympic medal in his country's history
by gleaning bronze behind the Portuguese Pedro Pichardo (17m98) and the Chinese Yaming Zhu (17m57).
He could not do better than a jump to 17 meters 47 on his third attempt.
A jump far from his record in Africa outdoors (17 meters 82) but which does not prevent him from feeling "
a great pride to be the first to have brought back a medal for Burkina Faso
".
Burkinabè Hugues Fabrice Zango in the final of the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games. REUTERS - ALEKSANDRA SZMIGIEL
Men's 400 meters
Batswana Isaac Makwala wanted to become the second medalist in his country's history, taking advantage of the absence of
South African Wayde van Niekerk
.
But the three-time African champion could not do better than 7th in the final won by the Bahamian Steven Gardener.
4X100 meters male
Ghana qualified for the final for the first time since the 1996 Games.
The Ghanaian sprinters validated their ticket after taking 5th place in their series ahead of the United States.
Benjamin Azamati-Kwaku and his partners were drafted on time and will be the only African representatives since Akani Simbine's South Africa did not finish the race.
Ghana will try to emulate Nigeria, the last African relay qualified for a final, in 2004, with a bronze medal.
Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse and Ghanaian Joseph Amoah at the Olympic Games in Tokyo on August 5.
REUTERS - PHIL NOBLE
Men's shot put
For the first time at the Games, three African athletes took part in the shot put final.
But none could do better or equal the Congolese Franck Elemba, 4th in Rio in 2016.
South African Kyle Blignaut (21m), Egyptian Mostafa Amr Hassan (20.73m) and Nigerian Chukwuebuka Enekwechi (19.74m) took 6th, 8th and 12th place out of 12 competitors.
The title goes to the American Ryan Crouser, new Olympic record holder (23.30 m).
HANDBALL
The first African team to play in an Olympic semi-final,
Egypt lost to France (27-23)
and will fight to win the bronze medal against the Spanish champions of Europe on Saturday, August 7.
Egyptian handball player Yahia Omar surrounded by several French players on August 5 at the Tokyo Olympics.
REUTERS - SIPHIWE SIBEKO
STRUGGLE
A day to forget for African wrestlers.
Only Egyptian Amr Reda Ramadan Hussen won a fight before losing in the quarterfinals in the under 74 kilograms.
The Bissau-Guinean Augusto Midana in the same category, the Egyptian Diaaeldin Kamal Gouda Abdelmottaleb and the Algerian Djahid Berrahal in the under 125 kilos, and the Cameroonian Joseph Emilienne Essombe Tiako in the under 53 kilos category did not passed the first round.
Guinean Fatoumata Yarie Camara lost her repechage match in the under 57 kilos.
KARATE
The start of karate was also unsuccessful for the two African representatives on Thursday: the Egyptians Radwa Sayed and Ali Elsawy won only one fight in four in their elimination group.
The first in the under 55 kg category and the second in the under 67 kg category.
At least two had to be won to qualify for the semi-finals.
Egypt's Radwa Sayed (left) vs. Kazakh Moldir Zhangbyrbay on August 5 at the Tokyo Olympics.
REUTERS - ANNEGRET HILSE
ATHLETICS (CONTINUED)
4X100 meters female
The Nigerians, the only African representatives, did not pass the semifinals.
Led by Blessing Okagbare, seven-time African champion, the Nigerian relay took 6th place and will not see the final.
Women's heptathlon
Beninese Odile Ahouanwanou finished 15th out of 24 after a very delicate second day where she notably took the last place in her 800-meter series.
However, the three-time African champion could still dream of a medal at the end of the first day marked by her first place in the shot put.
Burkinabe Marthe Koala has not finished this Olympic heptathlon.
Beninese Odile Ahouanwanou during the long jump of the heptathlon of the Tokyo Olympic Games.
REUTERS - ALEKSANDRA SZMIGIEL
20 km men's walk
South African Wayne Snyman finished 20th, 3 minutes 28 seconds behind Italian Olympic champion Massimo Stano (1h 21 min 5 sec).
OPEN WATER SWIMMING - 10 KILOMETERS
The South African Michael McGlynn finished 8th, almost 3 minutes behind the German winner Florian Wellbrock (1h 48 min 33 sec).
Namibian Phillip Seidler and
37-year-old Tunisian Oussama Mellouli
, double Olympic gold medalist, finished 16th and 20th.
Tunisian swimmer Oussama Mellouli at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games. REUTERS - ANTONIO BRONIC
SKATEBOARD
Like his compatriot the day before, the South African Dallas Oberholzer finished last in the playoffs of the Park event with a score of 24.08.
The 8th and last qualifier obtained 73 points.
TRACK CYCLING
South African David Marre took part in the omnium and finished last in 19th place.
Briton Benjamin Thomas became Olympic champion in the omnium, ahead of New Zealander Campbell Stewart and Italian Elia Viviani.
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