Athletics Africa Magazine

The news this week that Nigeria's up and coming 400m hurdles prodigy, Amaka Ogoegbunam has tested positive for steroids came as a rude shock to me. Worse still, she's the third athlete in the Nigerian camp tainted with a drug episode in a matter of weeks. Vivian Chukwuemeka, 2002 Commonwealth Games Shot put gold medallist, and 100m runner Gloria Kemasuode has already been sent packing from the camp in Berlin for returning positive A samples at the Nigerian trias in Abuja last month. Similarly, Amaka was also reported to have tested positive for the same performance-enhancing anabolic steroid 'Metonolone' the others were busted for during the African junior championships in Bambous end of July. Another issue in camp in Berlin is that most of the athletes have not been paid their allowances, despite the fact that they have been short-changed by four days already. The athletes were supposed to be paid $100 each daily from the day they entered the Camp, but that was readj...

Powerfully built but beautifully relaxed in motion, the 18-year-old South African clocked one minute, 55,45 seconds for the year's fastest time and a personal best by more than a second. Kenyan world champion and Olympic silver medallist Janeth Jepkosgei was more than 15m adrift for second in 1:57,90. Fast-closing Jenny Meadows of Britain snatched third, three-hundredths of a second behind Jepkosgei in another personal best.

South Africa's world champion Caster Semenya produced the fifth fastest 800 metres time in history to win in grand sytle this evening - in a new world leading time of 1:55.45. But that's not the only story. The 18-year old middle distance sensation is at the centre of an inquiry over concerns raised about whether she is male or female. Most of these so-called concerns stem from Australia and Europeans. One BBC commentator in Berlin even had the audacity to claim on air that "the background of African athletes are always questionable", and then went on to ask the opinion of bronze medallist Jenny Meadows. Shame on him for saying that, but I know that we Africans would no longer sit back and take such ignorant smear any longer. Worse was said last year when Kenyan Pamela Jelimo came onto the scene. I heard many fellow journalists from Europe wondered why she looked so masculine. Back to the furore over this young lady. False reports from Australia, The Sydney Morning He...

Kenya's Ezekiel Kemboi, Richard Kipkemboi, and Bouabdellah Tahri the medallists in the steeplchase at the 2009 World Track and Field Championships in Berlin. Kemboi talks about the Kenyan steeplechase tradition and also explained why he took off his shirt for a Barcelona FC replica jersey.

African 400m record-holder, Gary Kikaya of Congo DRC in a chat with AthleticsAfrica speaks on the state of athletics on the continent, his home country, recent developments and his future plans in and out of the track. check this out. Video courtesy, YSMedia Ltd for AthleticsAfrica.com

Tyson Gay finally challenged Usain Bolt in the 100m and took second, Bolt broke his Olympic record to win at 9.58 seconds, Powell took third.

WOW! How fast can this guy go?

Linet Masai won the women's 10,000m at the 12th IAAF World Athletics Championships in Berlin

NIGERIA's former track and field chief coach, Armelia Ede t and two other Africans, Wilfried Daniel s of SOUTH AFRICA and Bisrat Gashawtena of ETHIOPIA were honoured by the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) with the IAAF Veteran Pin for long and meritorious service to the cause of world athletics during the 47th edition of the IAAF Congress at the Hotel Estrel, Berlin yesterday. Younes Chetali from TUNISIA also received the IAAF's Plaque of Merit given to six distinguished members [from each of the Area Associations] "of the global athletics family who have made enormous career long contributions to the success and the development of [the] sport" The IAAF Congress, the highest decision making body of the association, was attended by 198 of the IAAF’s 213 National Membership Federations and a total of 371 delegates were at the meeting which was presided over by IAAF President Lamine Diack. Some of the major decisions agreed on at the end of the con...