# 1997 African Junior Athletics Championships

The 1997 African Junior Athletics Championships was the third edition of the biennial, continental athletics tournament for African athletes aged 19 years or younger. It was held in Ibadan, Nigeria, from 21–23 August. A total of 43 events were contested, 22 by men and 21 by women.
Agnes Afiyo of Ghana, the winner of the women's javelin throw and the 200 metres bronze medallist, was determined to be male in 1999 following medical testing. It is not known whether the medals from this competition were reassigned as a result.

## Medal table

* Host nation (Nigeria)
| Rank | NOC | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Nigeria (NGR) | 13 | 11 | 15 | 39 |
| 2 | Algeria (ALG) | 7 | 6 | 5 | 18 |
| 3 | Kenya (KEN) | 7 | 4 | 1 | 12 |
| 4 | South Africa (RSA) | 7 | 2 | 5 | 14 |
| 5 | Ghana (GHA) | 5 | 8 | 5 | 18 |
| 6 | Ethiopia (ETH) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| 7 | Egypt (EGY) | 1 | 5 | 2 | 8 |
| 8 | Togo (TOG) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 8 | Uganda (UGA) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 10 | Gabon (GAB) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Tunisia (TUN) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 12 | Botswana (BOT) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 12 | Zimbabwe (ZIM) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (13 entries) | Totals (13 entries) | 43 | 42 | 42 | 127 |

## Medal summary
### Men

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| 100 metres | Sunday Emmanuel (NGR) | 10.55 | Abu Duah (GHA) | 10.78 | Tanko Braimah (GHA) | 10.94 |
| 200 metres | Sunday Emmanuel (NGR) | 21.12 | Tanko Braimah (GHA) | 21.17 | Musa Deji (NGR) | 21.54 |
| 400 metres | Fidelis Gadzama (NGR) | 46.38 | Musa Audu (NGR) | 47.02 | Daniel Adomako (GHA) | 47.42 |
| 800 metres | Benjamin Kipkurui (KEN) | 1:49.66 | Mostafa Shalaby (EGY) | 1:49.82 | Lucky Hadebe (RSA) | 1:49.86 |
| 1500 metres | Benjamin Kipkurui (KEN) | 3:44.17 | Mengesha Feyesa (ETH) | 3:46.56 | Seth Bortey (GHA) | 3:46.62 |
| 5000 metres | Reuben Kamzee (KEN) | 13:56.60 | Dagne Alemu (ETH) | 14:04.42 | Yibeltal Admassu (ETH) | 14:20.63 |
| 10,000 metres | Reuben Kamzee (KEN) | 30:02.60 | Jafred Lorone (UGA) | 30:07.00 | Tadele Dereje (ETH) | 30:14.08 |
| 110 metres hurdles | Frank Bonsu (GHA) | 14.7 | Nader Hosni (EGY) | 15.3 | Lekan Soetan (NGR) | 15.7 |
| 400 metres hurdles | Essel Mensah (GHA) | 51.58 | Ismail Hashem Ismail (EGY) | 51.80 | Glory Okpako (NGR) | 52.71 |
| 3000 metres steeplechase | Reuben Kosgei (KEN) | 8:40.40 | Abraham Cherono (KEN) | 8:44.28 | Maru Daba (ETH) | 8:47.46 |
| 4×100 m relay | Nigeria (NGR) | | Ghana (GHA) | | Algeria (ALG) | |
| 4×400 m relay | Nigeria (NGR) | 3:08.68 | Ghana (GHA) | 3:09.52 | Algeria (ALG) | 3:14.86 |
| 10,000 metres walk | Rezki Yahi (ALG) | 50:48.14 | Reda Amira (ALG) | 51:18.56 | Adebayo Bada (NGR) | 54:38.88 |
| High jump | Vusumzi Mtshatseni (RSA) | 2.10 m | Justice Ezueakara (NGR) | 2.05 m | Monday Osagie (NGR) | 2.00 m |
| Pole vault | Johann Venter (RSA) | 4.70 m | Mohamed Benyahia (ALG) | 4.70 m | Béchir Zaghouani (TUN) | 4.50 m |
| Long jump | Mark Anthony Awere (GHA) | 7.39 m | Tadjou Talon (TOG) | 6.90 m | Raphael Akpata (NGR) | 6.89 m |
| Triple jump | Mark Anthony Awere (GHA) | 15.29 m | Yvon Ngoua (GAB) | 14.62 m | Allegton Uwasanyem (NGR) | 14.60 m |
| Shot put | Janus Robberts (RSA) | 18.55 m | Monday Ibrahim (NGR) | 16.50 m | Okechukwu Eziuka (NGR) | 16.00 m |
| Discus throw | Janus Robberts (RSA) | 54.55 m | Godwin Imoisi (NGR) | 46.12 m | Walid Boudaoui (ALG) | 45.95 m |
| Hammer throw | Yamine Hussein (EGY) | 63.46 m | Nabil Amroune (ALG) | 57.94 m | John Osazuwa (NGR) | 55.94 m |
| Javelin throw | Nnamdi Uche (NGR) | 60.04 m | Félix Kouadio (CIV) | 59.32 m | Kossivi Kponor (TOG) | 46.20 m |
| Decathlon | Mohamed Benyahia (ALG) | 7086 pts | Mohamed Mounib (ALG) | 6737 pts | Lee Okoroafor (NGR) | 6505 pts |

### Women

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| 100 metres | Funmilola Ogundana (NGR) | 12.03 | Monica Twum (GHA) | 12.42 | Justine Bayiga (UGA) | 12.86 |
| 200 metres | Funmilola Ogundana (NGR) | 23.92 | Monica Twum (GHA) | 24.28 | Agnes Afiyo (GHA) | 24.32 |
| 400 metres | Doris Jacob (NGR) | 52.88 | Rosemary Okafor (NGR) | 53.49 | Monica Twum (GHA) | 54.35 |
| 800 metres | Nancy Langat (KEN) | 2:05.7 | Naomi Misoi (KEN) | 2:07.4 | Ramomene Boikhutso (BOT) | 2:09.0 |
| 1500 metres | Rose Kosgei (KEN) | 4:14.56 | Etaferahu Tarekegn (ETH) | 4:14.65 | René Kalmer (RSA) | 4:16.90 |
| 3000 metres | Etaferahu Tarekegn (ETH) | 9:10.45 | Jacqueline Okemwa (KEN) | 9:19.26 | René Kalmer (RSA) | 9:20.51 |
| 10,000 metres | Merima Hashim (ETH) | 34:48.68 | Jacqueline Okemwa (KEN) | 35:09.69 | Margaret Chepkemboi (KEN) | 35:42.60 |
| 100 metres hurdles | Baya Rahouli (ALG) | 13.87 | Funmilola Ogundana (NGR) | 14.47 | Laraba Nasiru (NGR) | 14.49 |
| 400 metres hurdles | Elizabeth Ndubueze (NGR) | 58.70 | Esther Erharuyi (NGR) | 58.81 | Yvonne Ntini (ZIM) | 59.88 |
| 4×100 m relay | Nigeria (NGR) | 45.73 | Ghana (GHA) | 45.77 | Algeria (ALG) | 47.99 |
| 4×400 m relay | Nigeria (NGR) | 3:37.99 | Ghana (GHA) | 3:44.00 | Algeria (ALG) | 3:52.91 |
| 5000 metres walk | Gete Koma (ETH) | 27:17.73 | Faiza Azzouzi (ALG) | 27:50.56 | Hiba Ahmed (EGY) | 30:19.66 |
| High jump | Hestrie Storbeck (RSA) | 1.90 m | Gloria Nwosu (NGR) | 1.70 m | Olubunmi Titcomb (NGR) | 1.70 m |
| Pole vault | Sonia Smili (ALG) | 2.00 m | Only one athlete cleared a height | Only one athlete cleared a height | Only one athlete cleared a height | Only one athlete cleared a height |
| Long jump | Grace Umelo (NGR) | 6.25 m | Baya Rahouli (ALG) | 6.12 m | Charlene Lawrence (RSA) | 5.81 m |
| Triple jump | Baya Rahouli (ALG) | 13.39 m | Edith Wilcox (NGR) | 12.76 m | Grace Efago (NGR) | 12.69 m |
| Shot put | Veronica Abrahamse (RSA) | 15.80 m | Maranelle Du Toit (RSA) | 15.70 m | Amira Naji (EGY) | 13.28 m |
| Discus throw | Elizna Naudé (RSA) | 46.16 m | Maranelle Du Toit (RSA) | 44.20 m | Nesrine Dahman (TUN) | 40.55 m |
| Hammer throw | Djida Yalloulène (ALG) | 44.10 m | Wala Khalil (EGY) | 37.20 m | Yinka Owosile (NGR) | 34.80 m |
| Javelin throw | Agnes Afiyo (GHA) | 53.54 m | Sorochukwu Ihuefo (NGR) | 48.66 m | Veronica Abrahamse (RSA) | 47.52 m |
| Heptathlon | Naïma Bentahar (ALG) | 4123 pts | Hani Jamil (EGY) | 3681 pts | Azeez Morili (NGR) | 3370 pts |