By Chaker Belhadj.
ABUJA, Nigeria, October 18. THE eighth edition of the African Games was contested in the spanking new aquatic complex in Abuja, the new capital of Nigeria, October 5-11.
A record 21 nations, represented by 117 — 63 men and 54 women — swimmers took part in the weeklong aquatic extravaganza. Four years ago, in the seventh African Games held in Johannesburg, 128 swimmers from 18 countries took part. Africa was represented by 25 countries at the World Championships in Barcelona in July.
Forty events were contested on the program in Abuja,
after the introduction for the first time of the 50 meter sprints at 50 meters backstroke, breaststroke and fly for men and women, plus the men's 800m free and the women's 1500 meter free.
Abuja confirmed the domination of South Africa, which took 53 of the 120 medals on offer: 25 gold, 19 silver and 9 bronze. This, despite the fact that the South Africans were deprived of the services of several of their brightest international stars including Ryk Neethling, Roland Schoeman, Theo Verster, Terrence Parkin and Gerhard Zandberg.
The South African women were impressive, taking a total of 20 medals.
Egypt finished second in the medal count with a total of 36 medals: 6 gold, 12 silver and 18 gold.
Tunisia, sparked by Ous Mellouli, was third with 13 medals: 6 gold, 2 silver and 5 bronze.
Algeria was fourth with 8 medals (3 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze), followed by the Seychelles with 4 medals (3 silver, 1 bronze), Senegal with 4 (1 silver, 3 bronze) and host, Nigeria with 2 (1 silver, 1 bronze).
The Abuja Games marked the first time in the history of the African Games that swimmers from the Seychelles and Senegal earned medals. Shrone Austin of the Seychelles scored 3 silver and one bronze, while Senegal's Khadija Ciss picked up a bronze.
Nigeria won its first medals since the second edition of the Games, held in Lagos in 1973. They were won by Ngozi Moni (silver in the 50m free) and Ingyengiyikabo Obias (bronze in the 509m back).
27 Records Set in Abuja
Twenty-seven Games records were established in Abuja, with four countries taking part in the record-breaking: South Africa (16), Egypt (7), Tunisia (3) and algeria (1).
South Africa's Liza-Marie Retief and Egypt's Ahmed Hassine authored four records apiece, while Tunisia's Oussama Melloulis had three.
No swimmer set an African continental record but three were able to better the fastest African time of 2003: Lauren Roets on 50m freestyle (26.31), Ingrid Haiden on 50m breaststroke (32.89) and Liza-Marie Retiefs on 50m butterfly (27.56), the latter coming within 18- hundredth of a second of the African record held by Mandy Loots.
Egyptian Ahmed Hassine came even closer in the 100m back, as his 55.75 was just 11-hundredth of a second off the continental record 55.64 by South African Gerhard Zandberg.
The Tunisian Oussama Mellouli won six individual gold medals, more than any other swimmers. He took gold in the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle and the 200 and 400m individual medleys.
For her part, South African Liza-Marie Retief earned five gold medals in the butterfly (50m,100m and 200m), 200m IM and 50m back; she also won silver in the 200m back.
Other swimmers distiguishing themselves in Abuja were the trio of Ahmed Hassine (EGY), Lauren Roets (RSA) and
Ingrid Haiden (RSA) with three golds apiece.
Algerian Salim Îles dominated the 50m and 100m freestyle, Kurt Muller (RSA) took the 50 and 100m breast and Romy Altmann (RSA) was golden in the 100 and 200 back.
In comparison with the Championship meet in Cairo last year, South Africa improved its performance, increasing its medal haul from 44 to 53. Egypt got the same number of medals (36) in 2002 and 2003 as did Senegal (4). Tunisia went from 12 to 13, but Algeria lost 16 medals. Finally, the Seychelles (0 in '02, 4 medals this year) and Nigeria (0 and 2), which had no medals in 2002 in Cairo, were represented on the victory stand in Abuja.
ALL AFRICAN GAMES
ABUJA, NIgeria
October 5-11, 2003
50 meter pool
RESULTS
MEN
50 m FREESTYLE
22"71 Iles Salim ALG
23"66 Ackerman Stephan RSA
23"83 Muller Kurt RSA
100 m FREESTYLE
50"32 Iles Salim ALG
51"54 Ackerman Stephan RSA
52"26 Hazem Haithem EGY
200 m FREESTYLE
1'52"94 Mellouli Oussama TUN
1'54"17 Ackerman Stephan RSA
1'54"82 Wilson Nicholas RSA
400 m FREESTYLE
4'00"43 Mellouli Oussama TUN
4'06"51 Ben Naceur Anouar TUN
4'07"59 Mebarek Mehrez ALG
800 m FREESTYLE
8'12"26 Mellouli Oussama TUN
8'33"49 El Gamal Omar EGY
8'36"78 Hanafi Khaled EGY
1500 m FREESTYLE
15'35"97 Mellouli Oussama TUN
16'21"49 El Gamal Omar EGY
16'40"61 Hanafi Khaled EGY
50 m BACKSTROKE
25"84 Mutapha Ahmed EGY
27"04 Thirsk Simon RSA
27"30 Hazem Haitham EGY
100 m BACKSTROKE
55"75 Mutapha Ahmed EGY
57"60 Thirsk Simon RSA
58"46 Hazem Haitham EGY
200 m BACKSTROKE
2'02"46 Mutapha Ahmed EGY
2'07"42 Norton Jeff RSA
2'09"79 Thirsk Simon RSA
50 m BREASTSTROKE
28"69 Muller Kurt RSA
29"10 Daid Sofiane ALG
29"28 Fall Malick SEN
100 m BREASTROKE
1'02"99 Muller Kurt RSA
1'04"05 Daid Sofiane ALG
1'04"10 Khattab Ayman EGY
200 m BREASTROKE
2'16"86 Versfeld Neil RSA
2'18"49 Khattab Ayman EGY
2'20"33 Fall Malick SEN
50m BUTTERFLY
24"79 Ackerman Stephan RSA
24"84 Hazem Haithem EGY
25"21 Muller Kurt RSA
100m BUTTERFLY
54"81 Hazem Haithem EGY
54"95 Ackerman Stephan RSA
55"25 Salah Ahmed EGY
200m BUTTERFLY
2'02"91 Salah Ahmed EGY
2'03"99 El Abbadi Ahmed EGY
2'05"15 Ben Naceur Anouar TUN
200m IND.MEDLEY
2'06"91 Mellouli Oussama TUN
2'09"08 Fall Malick SEN
2'09"91 Versfeld Neil RSA
400m IND.MEDLEY
4'29"68 Mellouli Oussama TUN
4'39"37 Versfeld Neil RSA
4'46"08 El Gamal Omar EGY
4x100m FREESTYLE RELAY
3'27"05 Algeria ALG
3'29"63 South Africa RSA
3'30"65 Egypt EGY
4x200m FREESTYLE RELAY
7'42"45 South Africa RSA
7'45"22 Algeria ALG
7'50"91 Egypt EGY
4x100m MEDLEY REALY
3'46"67 Egypt EGY
3'47"92 South Africa RSA
3'55"25 Algeria ALG
WOMEN
50 m FREESTYLE
26"31 Roets Lauren RSA
27"71 Monu Ngozi NGR
28"16 Chahed Nadia TUN
100 m FREESTYLE
56"79 Roets Lauren RSA
57"90 Zwiegers Christine RSA
58"53 Zeinhom Selma EGY
200 m FREESTYLE
2'06"27 Roets Lauren RSA
2'08"84 Van Heerden Kirsten RSA
2'09"00 Ciss Khadija SEN
400 m FREESTYLE
4'28"19 Van Heerden Kirsten RSA
4'29"13 Selim Heba EGY
4'30"84 Austin Shrone SEY
800 m FREESTYLE
9'09"66 Du Toit Natalie RSA
9'13"03 Austin Shrone SEY
9'17"15 Selim Heba EGY
1500 m FREESTYLE
17'24"64 Van Rensburg Velia RSA
17'30"77 Austin Shrone SEY
17'35"23 Selim Heba EGY
50 m BACKSTROKE
30"18 Retief Liza -Marie RSA
30"29 Altmann Romy RSA
31"06 Obia Inyengiyikao NGR
100 m BACKSTROKE
1'02"89 Altmann Romy RSA
1'07"61 Channel van Wyck RSA
1'07"94 Chahed Sarra TUN
200 m BACKSTROKE
2'15"15 Altmann Romy RSA
2'22"50 Retief Liza -Marie RSA
2'26"12 Abdallah Soha EGY
50 m BREASTSTROKE
32"89 Haiden Ingrid RSA
32"99 Jardine Ziada RSA
33"33 Zeinhom Selma EGY
100 m BREASTSTROKE
1'11"00 Haiden Ingrid RSA
1'11"92 Zeinhom Selma EGY
1'12"82 Jardine Ziada RSA
200 m BREASTSTROKE
2'32"66 Haiden Ingrid RSA
2'37"28 Zeinhom Selma EGY EGY
2'43"50 Jardine Ziada RSA SEN
50m BUTTERFLY
27"56 Retief Liza -Marie RSA
28"53 Sparg Lauren RSA
29"78 Raafat May EGY
100m BUTTERFLY
1'01"78 Retief Liza -Marie RSA
1'02"63 Sparg Lauren RSA
1'05"01 Raafat May EGY
200m BUTTERFLY
2'17"47 Retief Liza -Marie RSA
2'20"05 Jo-Anne Bergman RSA
2'20"80 Raafat May EGY
200m IND.MEDLEY
2'21"64 Retief Liza -Marie RSA
2'23"89 Zeinhom Selma EGY
2'24"42 Meyer Bianca RSA
400m IND.MEDLEY
5'03"06 Meyer Bianca RSA
5'09"41 Austin Shrone SEY
5'13"75 Van Heerden Kirsten RSA
4x100m FREESTYLE RELAY
3'52"74 South Africa RSA
4'04"68 Egypt EGY
4'04"68 Tunisia TUN
4x200m FREESTYLE RELAY
8'40"84 South Africa RSA
8'45"18 Egypt EGY
8'53"35 Tunisia TUN
4x100m MEDLEY REALY
4'11"37 South Africa EGY
4'31"84 Egypt ALG
4'37"84 Tunisia TUN