Africa lacks powerhouses in throws and racewalking
2024 Olympics
Although Africa produces no shortage of tall and powerful men, only eight of its athletes have qualified to compete in the throwing disciplines in Paris next month.
Six women and eight men will represent Africa in the discus throw, javelin throw, and hammer throw events at the 2024 Olympic Games in France this August. From the SADC region, only Francois Prinsloo and Victor Hogan from South Africa will compete in the discus throw, while Jo-Ané van Dyk will be in action with the javelin.20 Kilometre Racewalk
The 20 kilometre racewalk is a rare event for the continent, but Wakuma Misgana from Ethiopia and Samuel Kireri Gathimba of Kenya will take on the best in the world.
Discus Throw
SADC Region: no women qualifiers.
SADC Region, men: South Africa: Francois Prinsloo (67.26 meters, 21st seed) and Victor Hogan (64.29 meters, 48th seed).
Rest of Africa: Women: Nigeria: Obiageri Pamela Amaechi (63.17 meters, 28th seed), Chioma Onyekwere (61.35 meters, 39th seed), and Ashley Anumba (61.00, 44th seed). Men: Algeria, Oussama Khennoussi (63.90, 55th seed).
2024 Top Five List, Discus Throw (Women)
1. Cuba: Yaimé Pérez (73.09 meters)
2. USA: Valarie Allman (70.89)
3. China: Bin Feng (67.89)
4. Germany: Marike Steinacker (67.31)
5. Netherlands: Jorinde van Klinken (67.23)
2024 Top Five List, Discus Throw (Men)
1. Lithuania: Mykolas Alekna (74.35 meters)
2. Samoa: Alex Rose (71.48)
3. Slovenia: Kristjan Ceh (70.48)
4. Jamaica: Ralford Mullings (69.67)
5. Australia: Matthew Denny (69.35)
2020 Olympic champion Valarie Allman from the USA (68.98 meters) and 2023 World champion Laulauga Tausaga of the USA (69.49) are top contenders.
Additionally, 2020 Olympic and 2023 World champion Daniel Ståhl from Sweden boasts throws of 68.90 meters and 71.46 meters, respectively.
Hammer Throw
SADC Region: no men’s or women’s qualifiers.
Rest of Africa, women: Algeria, Zahra Tatar (69.65 meters, 65th seed), Nigeria, Oyesade Olatoye (71.88 meters, 27th seed)
Men: Egypt, Mostafa Elgamel (74.51 meters, 54th seed)
2024 Top Five List, Hammer Throw (Women)
1. USA: Brooke Andersen (79.92 meters)
2. Canada: Camryn Rogers (77.76)
3. USA: DeAnna Price (77.16)
4. USA: Janee' Kassanavoid (75.99)
5. Moldova: Zalina Marghieva (75.95)
2024 Top Five List, Hammer Throw (Men)
1. Canada: Ethan Katzberg (84.38 meters)
2. Russia: Valeriy Pronkin (81.53)
3. Poland: Wojciech Nowicki (80.95)
4. Ukraine: Mykhaylo Kokhan (80.76)
5. Hungary: Bence Halász (80.49)
2020 Olympic champion Anita Wlodarczyk from Poland (78.48 meters) and 2023 World champion Camryn Rogers of the USA (77.22 meters) are key competitors. Also, 2020 Olympic champion Wojciech Nowicki from Poland (82.52) and 2023 World champion Ethan Katzberg of Canada (81.25) are in the fray.
Javelin Throw
SADC Region, Women: South Africa, Jo-Ané van Dyk (63.57 meters, 12th seed). Men: None
Rest of Africa: Women none. Men: Egypt: Moustafa Mahmoud (81.92 meters, 36th seed) and Ihab Abdelrahman (76.68 meters, 106th seed); Kenya: Julius Yego (81.74 meters, 38th seed); igeria: Chinecherem Nnamdi (82.80 meters, 25th seed).
2024 Top Five List - Javelin Throw (Women)
1. Colombia: Flor Denis Ruiz Hurtado (66.70 meters)
2. Australia: Mackenzie Little (66.27 meters)
3. Austria: Victoria Hudson (66.06)
4. Serbia: Adriana Vilagoš (65.58)
5. Japan: Haruka Kitaguchi (65.21)
2024 Top Five List - Javelin Throw (Men)
1. Germany: Max Dehning (90.20 meters)
2. Czechia: Jakub Vadlejch (88.65)
3. Germany: Julian Weber (88.37)
4. India: Neeraj Chopra (88.36)
5. Grenada: Anderson Peters (86.62)
2020 Olympic champion Shiying Liu from China (66.34 meters) and 2023 World champion Haruka Kitaguchi of Japan (66.73 meters) are in contention. Furthermore, 2020 Olympic and 2023 World champion Neeraj Chopra from India with throws of 87.58 meters and 88.17 meters, respectively, are notable athletes.
Racewalk - 20 Kilometres
SADC Region, women and men none.
Rest of Africa, Women none. Men: Ethiopia, Wakuma Misgana (1 hour 20 minutes 51 seconds, 85th seed), Kenya: Samuel Kireri Gathimba (1:28:06, 292nd seed).
2024 Top Five List - Racewalk
1. Japan: Koki Ikeda (1:16:51)
2. China: Jun Zhang (1:17:26)
3. Italy: Massimo Stano (1:17:26)
4. Japan: Ryo Hamanishi (1:17:42)
5. Brazil: Caio Bonfim (1:17:44)
2020 Olympic champion Massimo Stano from Italy (1:21:05) and 2023 World champion Álvaro Martín of Spain (1:17:32) are top competitors.
Decathlon and Heptathlon
No women or men from the SADC or the rest of Africa will participate in the decathlon or heptathlon events.
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