AFRICAN HEROES: African runners Sammy Wanjiru from Kenya (center),
Jaouad Gharib from Morocco (left) and Tsegay Kebede from Ethiopia (right)
stand on the winners podium showing their medals for the men's marathon event

For a continent that hits the headlines most often for wars and famine, the Olympics offered Africa a chance to make the news for more positive reasons, and its athletes obliged with a host of outstanding achievements.

At the closing ceremony held on August 24 at the National Stadium, or the Bird's Nest, the main venue for Beijing Olympics, three African athletes, Sammy Wanjiru from Kenya, Jaouad Gharib from Morocco and Tsegay Kebede from Ethiopia, walked to the winning podiums of the men's marathon event to receive medals from Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee. They were the final three medal winners of the Beijing Olympic Games.

African athletes not only made outstanding achievements in track and field, an area they are traditionally strong in, but also in other sports events. To compete in Beijing, African countries dispatched large athletic delegations. More than 10 state and government leaders and several dozen ministerial-level officials came to Beijing to encourage their teams.

African athletes demonstrated their strength in various sports events. The top eight in the 10,000-meter race were all from Africa; Ethiopian female athlete Tirunesh Dibaba broke the world record in the 10,000-meter race with a time of 29 minutes and 54.68 seconds; and of the top eight men's football teams, three were from Africa.

Kenya was the most successful African country in Beijing with 14 medals, including five golds. The result was much better than at the Athens Olympic Games four years ago, where the country only won seven medals, including one gold.

"Our youth program has really increased and it's really helping. It's a very good buildup toward these kinds of events," said David Okeyo, head of the Kenyan Olympic Committee, in Beijing.

Kenya will host the Africa Championships in 2010 in Nairobi. Okeyo said in anticipation that Kenya is working hard on track and field events.

Harare's swimming champ

Thoughts of Africa often conjure up an arid image, and it's true that the continent does not have abundant water resources. However, Africa still managed to provide a world record-breaking swimmer to the Olympics in the form of Kirsty Coventry from Zimbabwe.