The 22nd African Athletics Championships will not take place. Nigeria, asked to host the event instead of Algeria, finally gave up because of the health context. This important step towards the Tokyo Olympics had already been postponed from 2020 to 2021 due to Covid-19.
A big blow for African athletics, less than 50 days before the Olympics in Tokyo (July 23 – August 8, 2021). African championships were interrupted after many twists and turns. Nigeria, which already hosted the previous edition, 2018 in Asaba, preferred to give up hosting the 22nd, rescheduled from 23 to 27 June in Lagos. In terms of the health context.
These African Championships were originally scheduled for June 2020 in Oran. Because of Coviden, they were originally postponed for a year. Then, in the face of the pandemic and delays in Oran, the Algerian authorities and the African Athletics Confederation (CAA) had considered moving to Algiers by the end of June.
As the situation had not improved enough, the Algerians then preferred to throw in the towel, forcing the CAA to seek help from Nigeria. In vain.
Fatalistic but prepared athletes
For the continent’s athletes, this is a big blow. There were those who were already qualified for Tokyo and who were counting on this continental meeting to prepare. And there were those who were not yet qualified and who hoped to get their ticket to Japan, Algeria and then Nigeria, such as the Congolese marksman Franck Elemba.
“We can only continue to work and try to achieve results during international meetings,” he already explained to rfi.fr, fatalist, in mid-May. We are looking for competitions at a high level to try to get points and thereby confirm a qualification for the Olympic Games “.
Tunisia’s Dorra Mahfoudhi, defending champion in high jump, took the lead and planned alternatives. But she hoped to break the continental record (4 meters 42) thanks to this 22nd African Championship, which she declared to rfi.fr, in mid-May. To erase South African Elmarie Gerryts from the shelves, she has to do without.
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