Abuja 2003: 11 New Games' Records Created in Athletics

Barley two days to the end of the 8th All Africa Games, 11 new games' records have been created in the track and field events.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the records were broken in the men's 100 metres, men's 5,000 metres, men's 10,000 metres, men's hammer throw, women's shot put and women's discus throw.

Others are the men's 3,000 meters steeplechase, men's long jump, women's hammer throw and women's 4x100 metres relay.

Ghana's Iginisious Gaisah set a new games' records of 8.30 metres in the men's long jump to dust off the old time of 8.09 metres, held by Hatem Mersal of Egypt.

In the men's 100 metres final, Nigeria's Deji Aliu set a new games' record of 9.95 seconds to dust off Leonard Myles-Mills of Ghana's former record of 9.99 seconds, which was set at the 7th All Africa Games in Johannesburg in 1999.

Ethiopia's Bekele Kenenisa created a new games' record in the men's 5,000 metres with a time of 13 minutes 26.16 seconds to erase the old record of 15 minutes 38.22 seconds, held by Worku Ayelech of Ethiopia.

Sihen Sileshe of Ethiopia broke the old games' record of 28 minutes, 03.60 seconds in the men's 10,000 metres finals set in the 1995 version of the All Africa Games in Harare by Machuka Josephat of Kenya.

Sileshe's new record is 27:42.13.

Kemboi Ezekiel of Kenya also set a games' record of 8 minutes, 12.27 seconds in the men's 3,000 metres steeplechase event to erase the old record of 8 minutes, 41.33 seconds, set by his compatriot, Wilson Kipketer.

In the men's hammer throw finals, Chris Harmse of South Africa set a new record of 75.17 metres to clean up his old record of 74.75 metres, which he set at the 7th All Africa Games in Johannesburg in 1999.

El-Ghazaly Omra of Egypt created a new record of 63.61 metres in the men's discus throw to clean up the old record of 61.02 metres, set by Frantz Kruger of South Africa.

The women's shot put finals also created a new record, where Nigeria's Vivian Chukwuemeka made it 18.12 metres to erase her former record of 16.72 metres set in Johannesburg in 1999.

Elizna Naude of South Africa set a new record of 57.44 metres in the women's discus throw to broke the old record of 57.22 metres, created by Monia Kari of Tunisia at the 7th All Africa Games in Johannesburg in 1999.

Marwa Ahmed of Egypt also set a new games' record in the women's hammer throw at 64.28 metres.

The new hammer record erased the old record of 58.83 seconds, set by Caroline Fourier of Mauritius.

Also, a new record was created in the women's 4x100 metres relay finals, where the Nigeria's quartet of Mary Onyali-Omagbemi, Endurance Ojokolo, Emem Edem and Chinedu Odozor set a new games' record of 43.04 seconds.

The new record erased the former record of 43.28 seconds, also set by the Nigerian team to the 7th All Africa Games in Johannesburg in 1999.

NAN reports that 36 new records were created in swimming.

South African, Egyptian and Tunisian swimmers dominated the event and shattered various games' records.