Africa, its Diaspora at world athletics

LAST month in China’s famous Bird’s Nest stadium – scene of the 2008 Beijing Olympics – Africa and its Diaspora shone brightly at the World Athletics Championships. Kenya topped the overall medals table with seven gold, six silver, and three bronze; Jamaica was second with seven gold, two silver, and three bronze; while Ethiopia was fifth with three gold, three silver, and two bronze. The United States (U.S.) – with a preponderance of athletes of African ancestry – was third with six medals in each category.

The achievements of Kenya and Jamaica in finishing ahead of the American colossus was remarkable. The U.S. is the world’s largest economy with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $16.8 trillion and a population of 316 million. In stark contrast, Kenya has a GDP of $80 billion (smaller than Nigeria’s megalopolis of Lagos), and a population of 44 million. The tiny island of Jamaica has a GDP of $25.2 billion, and a population of 2.8 million. Equally incredibly, the African and Caribbean countries producing world-class athletes almost all lack quality domestic facilities and sports administrations, often relying on training facilities in North America and Europe.

Kenya has historically produced a plethora of long-distance Olympic champions who have won an impressive 79 medals, including 24 gold, since 1964. The country has now won 52 world championship gold medals. The exploits of such superstars as Naftali Temu, Kip Keino, Julius Kariuki, Peter Rono, William Tanui, Pamela Jelimo and Nancy Legat have entered into the realm of athletics legend. At the Beijing world championships, Kenya once again had some stand-out performances. David Rudisha came back from a career-threatening knee operation to claim gold in the 800 metres.

His explosive world record-setting run at the London Olympics in 2012 never received the proper acclaim that it deserved. Asbel Kiprop won gold in the 1500 metres, claiming his third title (a feat matched only by Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj and Algeria’s Noureddine Morceli); while the eccentric 33-year-old, Ezekiel Kemboi, danced his way to his fourth world title and a clean Kenyan medal sweep in the 3000-metre steeplechase.

Vivian Cheruiyot came back from having had a baby to win the 10,000-metre title (her fourth world championship gold) ahead of Ethiopia’s Gelete Burka; while Hyvin Jepkemoi won the women’s 3000-metre steeplechase ahead of Tunisian favourite, Habiba Ghribi. Nicholas Bett became the first Kenyan to bag an individual sprint gold medal, winning the 400-metre hurdles (Kenya’s men had famously won the 4 x 400 metre relay gold at the Munich Olympics in 1972). Bett’s story represented Pan-African cooperation, with his South African coach, Hennie Koetze, being instrumental to his success.

The biggest surprise of this Kenyan team was, without doubt, the gold medal in javelin won by Julius Yego –nicknamed the “Youtube man” – because he had perfected his technique from watching Youtube videos. Yego won gold with the third-longest throw of all time at 92.72 metres. He had been throwing 78.34 metres just four years earlier. Never before had an African man won a javelin medal at a major championship. The silver medal won by Egypt’s Ihab Abdelrahman was thus also impressive.

Reinforcing East Africa’s long-distance dominance by its high-altitude runners were the Ethiopians and Eritreans. Ethiopia’s Abebe Bikila had famously run barefoot to win Olympic gold in Rome (1960) and Tokyo (1964). At the recent world championships, the country’s dimunitive Mare Dibaba won the women’s marathon from Kenya’s Helah Kiprop and Kenyan-born Bahraini, Eunice Kirwa. Ethiopians Almaz Ayana, Senbere Teferi, and Genzebe Dibaba (the 1500-metre gold medallist) led a medal sweep in the 5000 metres.

Directly behind them were four Kenyans. The revelation of the championships was perhaps 19-year-old Eritrean, Ghirmay Ghebreslassie, who won gold in the marathon, having only previously finished two marathons. He led the fourth consecutive African medal sweep of this event, ahead of Ethiopia’s Yemane Tsegay and Uganda’s Solomon Mutai. Somali-born Briton, Mo Farah, also defended his 5,000 and 10,000 metre titles.

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt was undoubtedly the brightest star of these championships, winning the 100 and 200 metre sprints as well as anchoring his country to victory in the 4 x 100 metre relay. The “Lightning Bolt” – who now has 17 Olympic and world championship gold medals – had had an injury-hit season, and had recorded slower times than African-American sprinter, Justin Gatlin, going into the competition. But Bolt somehow willed himself to victory.

The flamboyant Jamaican then celebrated in characteristic style, striking his iconic archer pose and dancing around the Bird’s Nest stadium barefoot in memorable victory laps. Women’s Olympic champion, Jamaica’s Shelly-Anne Fraser-Pryce, won an unprecedented third 100 metres gold, before the “Pocket Rocket” anchored her team to victory in the 4 x 100 relay. Danielle Williams also struck gold for Jamaica in the women’s 100-metre hurdles.

Two young South Africans announced their entrance onto the world stage. Wayde van Niekerk won an explosive 400-metre race in an African record of 43.48 seconds, beating world champion, American LaShawn Merritt, and Olympic champion, Grenada’s Kirani James. His time was the fourth fastest of all time, and this was South Africa’s first world sprint championship gold. The other medallist was Anaso Jobodwana who won a bronze medal in the 200 metres, behind Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin.

Nigeria, with the world’s largest black population that is 56 times larger than Jamaica’s; four times larger than Kenya’s; and three times larger than South Africa’s, should really be doing better at these competitions. It has never won a world championship gold medal, and has won only seven medals since these games started in 1983: Innocent Egbunike’s 400-metre silver (1987); Gloria Alozie’s 100-metre hurdles silver (1999); Blessing Okagbare’s long jump silver and 200-metre bronze (both in 2013); Francis Obikwelu’s 200-metre bronze (1999); the 4 x 100 metre relay silver of Osmond and Davidson Ezinwa, Olapade Adenikan, and Francis Obikwelu (1997); and the 4 x 400 metre relay bronze of Udeme Ekpeyong, Kunle Adejuyigbe, Jude Monye, and Sunday Bada (1995).

The doping charges against two Kenyan athletes before these championships started, were the one dark cloud that hung over Africa’s successful performances. Africa and its Diaspora, however, proved in Beijing that talent, hard work, and discipline can conquer the world. These values must now be transferred from athletics to other arenas of political and socio-economic development.

•Dr. Adebajo is Executive Director of the Centre for Conflict Resolution, Cape Town, South Africa and a Visiting Professor at the University of Johannesburg.