On the first day of athletics at the 13th African Games in Accra, Ethiopia secured its first two gold medals of the event and showed why it is the main power alongside Kenya in the middle and long distances.

Just as Kenenisa Bekele, Haile Gebrselassie and Sileshi Sihine dominated the women's 10,000m podium at the 2003 World Athletics Championships in Paris, Ethiopia also dominated the women's 5,000m podium in Accra. Medina Eisa, the reigning world U20 5,000m champion and world junior cross country team champion, showed why she is destined for the top, as she demonstrated when she won the Ethiopian trials in 2021 as a 16-year-old.

She put in a great final lap to win in 15:04.32, ahead of her compatriots Birtukan Molla (15:05.32) and Malknat Wudu (15:07.04). They left the current 3,000m steeplechase world record holder, Kenya's Beatrice Chepkoech, fourth in 15:13.71, without a medal. Eisa's next goal is to qualify for the Olympic Games, but it won't be easy against the likes of Gudaf Tsegay, Hirut Meshesha, Ejgayehu Taye, Freweyni Hailu or even Letensebet Giday if she finally tries to run both the 5,000 and 10,000. 

Ethiopia was also best in the men's 3,000m steeplechase with 19-year-old Samuel Firewu. The U20 world runner-up at Cali 2022 was able to beat the Kenyan Army in a great final lap. 

Firewu stopped the clock in 8:24.30.  Kenya's Serem, the Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, finished second in 8:25.77 after overtaking compatriot Simon Koech in the final 100 metres to win in 8:26.19. 

The last final on Monday was the men's discus, where three-time African champion Victor Hogan of South Africa had no problem winning his fourth title and first since 2016. She was the only one to break the 60m mark with a best throw of 62.56 m. Algeria's Oussama Khennoussi was second (59.97) and Namibia's Ryan Williams took bronze (55.42).

In the 100m semi-finals, Cameroon's Emmanuel Eseme (10.23 after 10.15 in the first round) and Gambia's Gina Mariam Bass (11.37 and 11.35 in the first round) were the fastest. 

Kenya's reigning 800m world champion Mary Moraa, one of the stars at Accra 2023, clocked the fastest time in the first round of the 400m (52.18) and Senegal's Cheikh Tidiane Diouf achieved a notable 45.64 in the men's competition , but he won't have it easy with Zambia's Muzala Samukonga (46.11).