| Athletics at the III Jeux de la Francophonie | |
| Colour: |
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| Host City: | Antananarivo, Madagascar |
| Nations Participating: | 30 |
| Events: | 43 |
| Records Set: | 8 Games records |
| Previous: | 1994 Paris |
| Next: | 2001 Ottawa |
| Games: | 1997 Jeux de la Francophonie |
At the 1997 Jeux de la Francophonie, the athletics events were held in Antananarivo, Madagascar in August and September 1997. A total of 43 events were contested, of which 23 by male and 20 by female athletes. Of the forty nations present at the competition, fifteen reached the medal table in the athletics competition.
The regional leader France easily topped the medal table with eleven gold medals and 38 in total. This was almost twice as many as second placed Canada (seven golds and twenty altogether). The hosts Madagascar had a strong showing in third place with seven golds and 16 medals – a performance which helped it into second place in the medals at the games. Senegal and Romania were the next best performers with four golds each.
A total of eight games records were set during the competition. On the men's side, Jean-Olivier Zirignon won the 100 metres in 10.07 seconds, Alejandro Argudin ran 49.22 seconds for the 400 metres hurdles, the high jump saw Mike Caza and Khemraj Naiko both reach 2.23 m, Cheikh Touré won the long jump with 8.19 m and Bouna Diop set a new javelin throw standard of 75.82 m. On the women's side Denisa Costescu ran 16:44.2 minutes to win the inaugural 5000 metres title (which replaced the previous 3000 metres event), Laurence Manfredi threw a record of 16.70 m in the shot put and Kim Vanderhoek set a heptathlon games best of 5650 points.[1]
| 100 metres (wind: +0.3 m/s) | 10.07 GR | 10.33 | 10.42 | ||||
| 200 metres (wind: -2.2 m/s) | 20.54 | 20.94 | 21.00 | ||||
| 400 metres | 45.74 | 46.16 | 46.67 | ||||
| 800 metres | 1:46.83 | 1:48.02 | 1:48.26 | ||||
| 1500 metres | 3:45.37 | 3:45.71 | 3:47.67 | ||||
| 5000 metres | 14:45.3 | 14:46.1 | 14:46.6 | ||||
| 10,000 metres | 29:55.8 | 29:58.02 | 30:21.33 | ||||
| Marathon | 2:24:34 | 2:34:12 | 2:44:10 | ||||
| 110 metres hurdles | 13.56 | 13.71 | 13.72 | ||||
| 400 metres hurdles | 49.22 GR | 50.02 | 50.46 | ||||
| 3000 metres steeplechase | 8:55.56 | 8:56.16 | 8:57.38 | ||||
| 4×100 metres relay | Éric Pacôme N'Dri Jean-Olivier Zirignon Ahmed Douhou Ibrahim Meité | 38.7 | Alfred Moussambani Serge Bengono Issa-Aimé Nthépé Benjamin Sirimou | 39.3 | Patrick Mocci-Raoumbe Charles Tayot Lueyi Dovy Antoine Boussombo | 39.5 | |
| 4×400 metres relay | Seydou Loum Hachim Ndiaye Alpha Babacar Sall Ibrahima Wade | 3:02.0 | Fernando Augustin Rudy Tirvengadum Gilbert Hashan Eric Milazar | 3:07.3 | Ousmane Diarra Jean-Laurent Heusse David Kafka Marc Raquil | 3:07.4 | |
| 20 km walk | 1:26:39 | 1:27:59 | 1:29:30 | ||||
| High jump | 2.23 m GR | 2.23 m GR | 2.15 m | ||||
| Pole vault | 5.40 m | 5.20 m | 5.10 m | ||||
| Long jump | 8.19 m GR | 8.02 m (w) | 7.82 m | ||||
| Triple jump | 16.50 m | 16.49 m | 16.46 m | ||||
| Shot put | 17.79 m | 17.75 m | 17.14 m | ||||
| Discus throw | 59.02 m | 58.11 m | 57.47 m | ||||
| Hammer throw | 70.90 m | 69.62 m | 68.40 m | ||||
| Javelin throw | 75.82 m GR | 72.61 m | 70.63 m | ||||
| Decathlon | 7477 pts | 7376 pts | 7356 pts |
| 100 metres (wind: -1.9 m/s) | 11.51 | 11.65 | 11.66 | ||||
| 200 metres (wind: +0.1 m/s) | 23.40 | 23.53 | 23.78 | ||||
| 400 metres | 52.91 | 52.99 | 53.18 | ||||
| 800 metres | 2:06.32 | 2:06.37 | 2:06.73 | ||||
| 1500 metres | 4:19.80 | 4:23.68 | 4:26.32 | ||||
| 5000 metres | 16:44.2 GR | 17:04.5 | 17:06.7 | ||||
| 10,000 metres | 34:27.57 | 34:59.75 | 35:27.21 | ||||
| 100 metres hurdles (wind: -1.3 m/s) | 13.21 | 13.60 | 13.68 | ||||
| 400 metres hurdles | 57.20 | 57.28 | 57.33 | ||||
| 4×100 metres relay | ? Lalao Ravaonirina Monica Rahanitraniriana Hanitriniaina Rakotrondrabe | 44.45 | Isabelle Correa Marie-Joëlle Dogbo Nathalie Polin Linda Ferga | 44.46 | Erika Witter Lisa Nicole Kosh Dena Burrows LaToya Austin | 44.61 | |
| 4×400 metres relay | Myriam Léonie Mani Georgette Nkoma Carine Eyenga Delphine Atangana | 3:34.40 | Marie-Louise Bévis Sylvie Birba Fabienne Ficher Anita Mormand | 3:34.99 | Aurelie Jonary Cendrino Razaiarimalala Monica Rahanitraniriana Paule Ony Ratsimbazafy | 3:35.09 | |
| Marathon | 2:56:24 | 3:02:16 | 3:06:13 | ||||
| 10 km walk | 49:18 | 50:51 | 56:04 | ||||
| High jump | 1.85 m | 1.82 m | 1.82 m | ||||
| Long jump | 6.30 m | 6.29 m | 6.04 m | ||||
| Triple jump | 13.98 m | 13.75 m | 13.64 m | ||||
| Shot put | 16.70 m GR | 15.97 m | 14.95 m | ||||
| Discus throw | 55.81 m | 47.46 m | 46.73 m | ||||
| Javelin throw (old model) | 49.99 m | 49.85 m | 46.25 m | ||||
| Heptathlon | 5650 pts GR | 5544 pts | 5296 pts |