Africa's Olympic prospects

By Mohammed Allie, Cape Town

As the 25th Olympic games kick off in Athens, African athletes will be hoping will be hoping that their physical prowess will be enough to win medals for their countries.

At the last Olympic games in Sydney, Africa's total medal tally was 35 with nine gold medals. Ethiopia hauled in the highest number of medals, winning four gold, one silver and three bronze medals.

This year in Athens, Africa's sportsmen and women at the games will undoubtedly be hoping to increase on this number. Here's a look at the continent's best prospects:

KENENISA BEKELE, long distance runner

The 22 year old took over the mantle as long distance king from his mentor and compatriot Haile Gebrselassie when he shattered his mentor's 5000m and 10,000m records after also taking his world title last year.

He showed his class and versatility by winning an unprecedented third long and short course double at the World Cross Country championships earlier this year.

At the Olympics he will be chasing a 5 000m and 10 000m double which should both be interesting races.

In the 5 000m he will face Morocco's Hicham el Guerrouj, who's chasing a 1500m and 5000m double while in the longer race he faces the reigning champion Gebrselassie.

THE BLACK METEORS, football

The Black Meteors became the first African team to win a medal at the Olympic men's football tournament when they took the bronze in Barcelona in 1992.

They have a good crop of young European-based players who should give a good account of themselves. They will be seeking to emulate Nigeria and Cameroon who won the football tournament at the past two Olympics.

Led by Stephen Appiah who plays for Italian giants Juventus, the Ghanaians have also included Baffour Gyan from the senior squad.

Interestingly, they play their opening game against Italy with four Italian-based players in their side - Appiah, John Mensah of Chievo, Asamoah Gyan and Sule Muntari of Udinese.

HICHAM EL GUERROUJ, middle distance runner

The Moroccan great will want to ensure he doesn't go down in history as the best athlete not to have won Olympic gold.

After being tripped in the final lap at the 1996 Atlanta Games, El Geurrouj was pipped at the post four years later by Kenya's Noah Ngeny.

This time the 29 year old four times world champion has his sights set on the gold after losing his 29-race unbeaten streak earlier this year, he bounced back by clocking the fastest time of the year of 3:29.18 on August 1 in Belgium.

Although he finished second to his main challenger Bernard Lagat of Kenya in last week's Golden League meeting in Zurich, he pronounced himself happy with his performance, especially since he had only just recovered from breathing problems which threatened his participation in Athens.

In addition to seeking his first gold medal El Guerrouj is also aiming for a unique 1500m- 5000m double.

DONAVAN CECH AND RAMON DI CLEMENTE, rowing

The South African team who will be participating in the men's coxless pairs, are the only rowers in the world to have won a medal at every world championships since the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

Along the way they've beaten every top pairing in the world.

In their final event before the Olympics, Cech and Di Clemente won the Henley Royal Regatta in London, becoming the first South Africans in fifty years to claim the title.

The pair, who even share a birthday on 2 May, have been inseparable for the past three years as they pursue their goal of winning the gold medal in Athens.

DERARTU TULU, long distance runner

The two times Olympic champion and former world 10 000m champion is making a record-equalling fourth appearance in the history of the Games, an Ethiopian achievement that she will share with 1968 Mexico Olympics Marathon Gold medallist Mamo Wolde.

Tulu, the defending women's 10000 Olympic champion who had earlier been omitted from the list of participants issued by the Ethiopian Athletics Federation is seeking to become the first African to win three Olympic Gold medals.

Her main challenge will come from compatriots Berhane Adere and Werknesh Kidane the current world champion and silver medalist respectively.

HESTRIE CLOETE, high jumper

The tall South African high jumper, nicknamed Queen of Coligny, after the rural town in which she lives, is a strong favourite to add Olympic gold to her second world title she won last year.

Silver medallist in Sydney four years ago, Cloete who celebrates her crown birthday on 26 August, last week cleared a season best of 2.04m at last week's Golden League meeting in Zurich.

The reigning world Female Athlete of the Year, has been in awesome form in events leading up to the Olympics, having won 17 of her last 19 events.

In addition she's also been improving her heights all the time - barely a week after clearing 2.03 at Crystal Palace in London, she improved that mark to 2.04 at the Golden League meeting in Zurich last Friday.

HAILE GEBRESELASSIE, long distance runner

The 31-year old Ethiopian legend is seeking to become the first individual athlete to win the same running event -10000m - at an Olympics three times in a succession.

Widely regarded as the greatest long-distance runner in history, Gebrselassie claimed the 10 000m Olympic gold in Atlanta in 1996 and Syndey four years later.

Gebrselassie has been crowned world champion four times at the distance and has also set 18 world records over 5 000m and 10 000m.

He will however have to overcome the formidable hurdle of his training partner and countryman Kenenisa Bekele who has claimed both his world records as well as his world title.

MARIA MUTOLA, middle distance runner

The legendary Mozambican, who provided her country with their first Olympic medal is favoured to retain the title she won in Sydney four years ago.

The 31-year old who had a slight hiccup in her preparations when she suffered a rare defeat after being beaten into second place by Russia's Svetlana Cherkasova in Lausanne in July quickly bounced back with commanding victories in her next two races.

The former footballer has been plagued by a hamstring injury this season but showed she was back to her best during the Golden League event in Zurich last Friday.

SOUTH AFRICA MEN'S TEAM, swimming

The South African men's 4 x 100metre freestyle relay team have an excellent chance of grabbing a medal in their event.

Two of the key swimmers in the team, American-based Ryk Neethling and Roland Schoeman, are ranked first and second in the world in the 100m freestyle this year.

They will be joined by two of Darain Townsend, Lyndon Ferns, Gerhard Zandberg and Karl Thanning who form part of a team favoured to be among the medal positions in Athens.

Their main opposition will come from the Russians, Australians and Americans, but the South African team are confident of claiming at least a medal, if not the gold.

PAUL TERGAT, long distance runner

Kenya's world record holder in the men's marathon is favoured to continue Africa's dominance in the event.

Tergat who won silver in the 10 000m Sydney, has been gearing his preparations towards taking the gold in Athens after missing a few big city marathons through a calf injury.

The heat and humidity of Athens as well as the team tactics could play a decisive role in a race which is probably the hardest to predict, but Tergat should be among the top finishers in a race which should once again see Africans ascend the winner's podium.