African U18/U20 Athletics Championships: Burkina Faso shines with six medals

Six medals. That’s the outcome of Burkina Faso’s participation in the 3rd African U18/U20 Athletics Championships, held from July 16 to 20 in Abeokuta, Nigeria.

The star of the Burkinabe delegation was Zalissa Zongo, who claimed the country’s only gold medal in the U18 triple jump. With a leap of 12.79 meters, she outperformed Morocco’s Masat Kaota (12.39 m) and Tunisia’s Feriel Chniba (12.16 m).

But Zalissa didn’t stop there. She also competed in the heptathlon and secured a silver medal, thanks to her consistent performance across the seven events.

While Zalissa shone in the U18 category, her older sister Awa Zongo also made her mark. Competing in the U20 category, she won silver in the triple jump with a distance of 12.52 meters, and added a bronze medal in the long jump to her collection.

Beyond the Zongo sisters, Ali Berthe made his presence felt by taking silver in the 400-meter hurdles. And in the U20 high jump, David Zella finished third, earning a bronze medal.

Overall, a strong showing from Burkina Faso’s young athletes on the continental stage.