Ethiopia retains status as best African nation at World U20 Athletics Championships

With a total of 10 medals made up of six gold, two silver and two bronze, Ethiopia have retained their status as the best African nation after the curtain was drawn on the 20th edition of the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru in the early hours of Sunday.

The Ethiopians were also the best African nation two years ago in Cali, Colombia where they won 16 medals made up of six gold, seven silver and three bronze, losing the overall top spot to the USA who won 15 medals but topped because of the number of gold medals won.

The same scenario almost played out here as the Americans top the medal table with 16 medals made up of eight gold, four silver and four bronze.

This would be the third time Ethiopia would emerge the best African nation at the competition after emerging the overall winner in 1996, the year Nigeria’s Francis Obikwelu won the 100 and 200m gold medals.

Kenya has always come out tops as the best African nations and have won at all editions except the three times they have been dropped to the second spot in Africa.

The Kenyans have emerged overall winners on five occasions viz 2000, 2006, 2010, 2018 and 2021 when they hosted it in Nairobi.

As many as five African nations made it to the medal table with Kenya the second best African nations with three gold, three silver and one silver medal, followed by South Africa with three gold, two silver and two bronze medals.

Tunisia won one gold while Uganda won one silver and two bronze medals to come fourth and fifth respectively among the African nations at the Championships.

‘Giant’ of Africa, Nigeria is coming back home without a medal and with three athletes who made it to the final.