There was only three-thousandths of a second to separate the top two finishers in the women’s 100 metres final at the African Athletics Championships 2026 in Accra on Wednesday (13 May), as Cameroon’s Herverge Kole Etam edged Nigeria’s Rosemary Chukwuma to the continental title.
Two-time African Under-20 champion Chukwuma initially celebrated after crossing the line, believing she had secured her first senior African title. However, following a lengthy review of the photo finish, the result was awarded to six-time Cameroon national champion Kole Etam.
The Cameroonian was officially credited with a winning time of 11.485, while Chukwuma finished in 11.488.
Liberia’s Thelma Davies, who was born in a refugee camp in Ghana, completed the podium, taking bronze in 11.50.
It’s redemption for 25-year old Kole Etam, who did not make the 100m final at the previous competition hosted in her home country.
“It feels really good to win here. I’m very happy to win this title for my country,” she said after the race.
READ MORE: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/african-athletics-championships-2026-cameroon-herverge-kole-etame-100m-gold
