Musai inks her name in history books with javelin gold in Algiers
What you need to know:
- The feat by the form 17-year-old form three student at Ngoleni High School, Kathiani, Machakos, was enough to erase Cecilia Kiplagat’s national record of 53.58m set on March 3, 2007 during the Kisumu leg of Athletics Kenya track and field meeting.
Kenya’s Martha Nthanze Musai made history on Thursday when she shattered the national women’s javelin record with a new distance of 54.12m to win the girls' javelin gold at the ongoing Africa Youth Games in Algiers.
The feat by the form 17-year-old form three student at Ngoleni High School, Kathiani, Machakos, was enough to erase Cecilia Kiplagat’s national record of 53.58m set on March 3, 2007 during the Kisumu leg of Athletics Kenya track and field meeting.
Musai’s achievement brought Kenya’s medal tally to 12: four gold, three silver and five bronze. Musai is coached by Ngoleni High School Principal Daniel Munguti, who has produced some of Kenya’s internationals.
Musai becomes the first Kenyan woman to win a major international field event after Kiplagat, who claimed bronze in javelin at the 2004 Africa Championships.
On Thursday, World Under-18 1,500m bronze medallist Edinah Jebitok gave Kenya another silver in girls’ 1,500m. Boys’ hockey team also settled for bronze after beating Nigeria 3-2 in the play-off.
Musai’s victory came a day after Kenya's Nickson Lesiyia Pariken won the boys’ 1,500m gold.
Pariken ended the wait on day two of the track and field events with gold just after his comrades - Angela Ndungwa claimed silver in girls’ 800m with Vanice Kerubo going for bronze in girls’ 100m hurdles.
It came a day after Mercy Chepkorir had opened the championships with bronze in girls’ 3,000m on Tuesday.
