Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria Sweep Relay Gold as Africa's Athletics Stars Shine in Accra

The 24th Africa Athletics Championships delivered a vivid snapshot of the continent's track-and-field power map, with Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria sweeping the 4x100m relay titles in Accra and Kenya's evergreen Julius Yego proving that class endures.

Côte d'Ivoire's men made history, claiming the country's first-ever gold in the 4x100m relay — a breakthrough for a nation whose sprinting pedigree has been building for years through stars like Maboundou Koné, who added the women's 200m title in 23.35 seconds to underline the Ivorians' rise as a sprint force. Cheickna Traoré completed a 200m double for the country in the men's event.

Nigeria's women, meanwhile, extended a dynasty: their 4x100m relay victory was a fourth consecutive continental title in the event, a run of dominance that has survived generational turnover and the ever-present pull of injuries and international commitments. With world-record hurdler Tobi Amusan among the elite names competing in Accra, Nigeria's depth remains the envy of African sprinting.

Kenya, as ever, harvested medals in its traditional strongholds — Diana Chepkemoi won the women's 3000m steeplechase and Diana Wanza took 10,000m gold — but the sentimental highlight was Julius Yego, the self-taught 'YouTube man' of javelin fame, winning yet another continental crown with a throw of 79.87 metres years after many assumed his peak had passed.

The championships, staged at the University of Ghana Stadium in Legon, also pointed to the future: Algeria will host the inaugural African School Games later in July, bringing together 3,000 young athletes from 53 countries — the next generation of the stars who lit up Accra.