For so long, African athletes have largely dominated long distance races, now tides are slowly shifting and more focus is gearing on to the short sprints where Africans are gradually catching up all in a bid to make a mark in the scene. It's surely a venture into uncharted territory guarded by Jamaican and American athletes but Africans have certainly showcased their diehard spirit. Here are some of the outstanding athletes the continent has been able to produce.
- Marie - Josee Ta Lou
The Ivorian born 32 year old is one of the continent's best Sprinters having set a national record back in 2017 at the 200 Metre-race in London and also topped the African Championship games a year earlier in 2016. The Sprinter has had some shortcomings, the biggest one being an illness that kept her inactive for a while. She however bounced back and proceeded to win Monaco's diamond league on 21 July 2017 after clocking a time of 22.25 in the 200m race. The African Sprinter recently won in Oslo after storming to victory in the Wanda Diamond League's 100m final.
- Ferdinand Omanyala
Dubbed 'Kenya's Fastest' man, the 25 year old has shown quite impressive performances and may well be an exciting prospect to look out for especially in the forthcoming Tokyo Olympics. The Kenyan Sprinter has certainly earned his spot on the continent's top athletes more so after setting a national record at Lagos, Nigeria where clocked a stunning time of 10.01 in the 100 metre finals. The former rugby player is currently placed in the 67th position at the World Rankings and will definitely be aiming at pushing his success a notch higher.
- Favor Ofili
Born Favour Chukwuka Ofili, the Nigerian youngster is pretty much regarded as a promising talent on the rise even so compared to Nigerian star, Blessing Okagbare. The 18 year old (Born 31 December 2002) has amazed many with her athleticism especially after setting a new African and National Record while competing at the Southeastern Conference indoor championships. The event, which took place early 2021 saw Ofili finish 3rd in the 200 metres setting a new personal best time of 22.75. Apparently at 16 years, Ofili emerged as the youngest competitor in an individual event at the Doha 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships where she took part in the 400m race.
- Wayde Van Niekerk
Hailing from Cape Town, the South African track and field athlete is the current World Champ and Olympic record holder. His impressive heights began once he made his international debut at the 2010 World Junior Championships, where he finished 4th in the 200 meters. At 24 he won a gold medal at the 2016 Olympic games showing the world at large how skilled and gifted he is. He will now be looking forward to defend his title at the Tokyo Olympics even though full fitness and recovery is yet to be achieved after a serious knee injury that happened in 2017.
- Akani Simbine
Last but not least is South Africa's and probably the continent's biggest sprinter, Akani Simbine. Having recently set a new 100metre-National record of 9.84 at the Gyuali Istvan Memorial meet in Hungary 6 July, 2921, the star is truly in his peak form. The 27 year old first made headlines as a teenager and has since earned the title, 'South Africa's fastest man'. In 2012, the African Sprinter shattered the National Junior record in Lusaka after clocking a time of 10.19 making him the best against his African competitors. With tremendous consistency in his form even after recovering from a hip injury, Simbine decided to set his sights solely focused on short sprints at major international championships. At the Gold Coast Commonwealth games, he anchored the South African relay team to a national record of 38.24. Akani currently ranks 2nd in the World Athletics after America's Trayvon Bromell.