11th All-Africa Games - Labiche grabs gold in high jump |16 September 2015

High jump specialist Lissa Labiche won Seychelles its fourth gold medal at the 11th All-Africa Games when she overcame her challengers in Monday night’s event in Congo Brazzaville.

Labiche held off the challenge of three-time champion Doreen Amata of Nigeria, clearing the bar at a height of 1.91m to claim the gold medal. Labiche attempted 1.94m after that but failed all her attempts.

Labiche, who holds the Seychelles national record of 1.92m – set at the South African Open Athletics Championships held in Potchefstroom, South Africa in May this year – has now achieved probably the biggest performance of her career as she is now the queen of the African continent when it comes to high jump.

Nigeria’s Amata had to relinquish her title to Labiche after she failed her attempts at 1.91m, meaning her final result was 1.85m. South Africa’s Julia Du Plessis won the bronze medal with a leap of 1.80m.

This is the first time Seychelles wins a gold medal in athletics at these Games, bringing the total to four to surpass its previous best of two gold medals achieved in 2007 in Algeria.

The other three gold medals in Congo Brazzaville have come through female weightlifter Ruby Malvin and badminton players Juliette and Alisen Camille.

Competing in the 58kg category, weightlifter Ruby Malvina lifted a total 189kg (80kg in snatch and 109kg in clean & jerk) to win two gold medals and one silver. The other gold medal was won by two other females – badminton players Alisen Camille and Juliette Ah-Wan – in the women’s doubles event.

Aside from Ruby Malvina, Clementina Agricole also won a silver medal in weightlifting and added two bronze medals to it. Agricole’s silver medal was for her 115kg lift in clean & jerk while her two bronze medals came in the snatch (91kg) and total (206kg).

Boxer Keddy Agnes took the +91kg weight category silver medal after losing 0-3 in the final to Nigerian Efe Ajagba.

The Seychelles mixed team of Juliette Ah-Wan, Cynthia Course, Alisen Camille, Steve Malcouzane, Georgie Cupidon and Kervin Ghislain finished third for the bronze medal in the team event won by Mauritius, while Georgie Cupidon and Juliette Ah-wan teamed up to win the other bronze in the mixed doubles event.

Swimmer Alexus Laird has also won a bronze medal in the 50m backstroke, clocking 30.07 seconds.

S. N.