The World Athletics Championships came to a triumphant end in Budapest on Sunday night with Kenya adding a gold, a silver and two bronzes to their haul to finish fifth on the medal table which was topped by the USA.
We take a look back at some of the highs and lows for the African athletes at the championships…
MOST DRAMATIC MOMENT – Women’s 10 000m final
Everything was primed for a dramatic finish to the women’s 10 000m final on the opening night of the championships, Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay and the Netherlands’ Olympic champion Sifan Hassan sprinting down the home straight after 25 gruelling laps in a furious battle for gold. Few could have predicted what happened next though as Hassan tumbled to the track and Tsegay powered on to take the gold. Hassan left empty-handed that day but did claim a silver in the 5000m and a bronze in the 1500m. The even more bizarre part of the evening? In the very next race, Hassan’s teammate Femke Bol took almost the exact same tumble while sprinting for gold in the 4x400m mixed relay.
THE SUPERSTAR – Faith Kipyegon (KEN)
There are not enough superlatives to describe the year Faith Kipyegon has had. Coming into these championships having broken not one, but three world records in the space of two months, the pressure was on Kenya’s queen of the track to produce the goods in Budapest. She did that in impressive fashion, first securing her third straight World Championships gold in the 1500m and following that up with another classy victory in the 5000m – so becoming the first woman in history to pull off that double.
THE RISING STAR – Letsile Tebogo (BOT)
In the most laid-back fashion, Botswana’s new sprint revelation, Letsile Tebogo, lived up to all pre-event expectations by claiming two medals in Budapest. First up was the 100m where he clinched the silver medal to become the first African man to reach a World Championships podium in the event. The 20-year-old then followed that up with bronze in the 200m to confirm his incredible potential. What was particularly impressive was the humble manner in which he carried himself throughout, proving a consummate ambassador for his country. With Ethiopia’s 3000m steeple chase silver medallist and world record holder Lamecha Girma just 22, and Kenya’s 800m silver medallist Emmanuel Wanyonyi only 19, the continent’s athletics future looks to be in good hands.
THE ROCKSTAR – Hugues Fabrice Zango (BUR)
After his biggest rival for the title, 18-year-old Jamaican Jaydon Hibbert pulled out with injury after his first attempt in the triple jump, Hugues Fabrice Zango was slightly rattled. His massive battle hadn’t materialised and it messed with his head. But, cheered on by his family who had flown over from Burkina Faso to support him for the first time, the 30-year-old produced a fifth-round leap of 17.64m to rise from third to first – his gold medal a first for his nation in the event and sparking massive celebrations back home.
NERVES OF STEEL – Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR)
These championships were full of compelling showdowns and the men’s 3000m steeplechase was certainly one of those. Morocco’s defending world and Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali up against the young Ethiopian who broke the world record back in June, Lamecha Girma. When it came down to it, it was the El Bakkali who leant on his experience and held his nerve to secure Morocco’s only gold medal of the championships.
A THRILLING THREE-PEAT – Joshua Cheptegei (UGA)
There were plenty of question marks over Joshua Cheptegei’s fitness heading into these championships with the world record holder over both 5000m and 10 000m having struggled with injury. But the Ugandan delivered a devastating last lap in the 10 000m final to secure a place in history by claiming a third straight title in the event. His troublesome foot held out just long enough to earn his country’s first gold in Budapest, as he later withdrew from the 5000m.
MOST HEARTBREAKING MOMENT – Akani Simbine (RSA)
The stage was set. After a great season of race after race running sub-10-second times and achieving two Diamond League victories, hopes were high that Akani Simbine could finally make the breakthrough and reach a major championship podium. But disaster struck when the two-time Olympic finalist was disqualified from his 100m semifinal for an apparent false start. Things got worse when the South Africans dropped the baton in the 4x100m relay, and with Wayde van Niekerk failing to fire in the 400m final, the nation left their third consecutive World Athletics Championships without a medal.
African placings on the World Athletics Championships 2023 medal table
5. Kenya: 3 gold, 3 silver, 4 bronze
6. Ethiopia: 2 gold, 4 silver, 3 bronze
11. Uganda: 2 gold
=15. Morocco: 1 gold, 1 bronze
=18. Burkina Faso: 1 gold
26. Botswana: 1 silver, 1 bronze