ALGIERS, Algeria: Zahra Bouras was supposed to do well in the 800 meter final at the African Championships in Kenya, but as Algerians watched, she stunned the continent by beating favorite Janeth Jepkosgei of Kenya to steal gold. The cheers from the small contingent of Algerians watching from a central Algiers cafe reverberated the room as she crossed the finish line. “We are so proud of her,” said one Algerian woman. “People don't think of Algerians as runners that often and to beat Kenya in something like this is pretty great,” she added. Caster Semenya, the South African who had had controversy stir around her after she had been confirmed and allowed to compete as a female in June. After that, Jepkosgei had been the unanimous favorite and most observers said she would have no rival close in the competition. But Bouras had other ideas, overcoming the Kenyan in the final 30 meters to clinch the gold medal. The Algerian finished in a surprisingly slow time of 2:00.22 and Jepkosgei, dejected over her failure to up the pace of the race second for the silver in 2:00.50, while Morocco's Malika Akkaoui settled for the bronze in 2:01.01. Another Moroccan Btissam Lakhouad was even stronger against Kenyan Winnie Chebet, the gold medalist in Beijing World Junior Championship in 2006, as she sprinted to the fourth place in 2:01.75 while Chebet was fifth in 2:03.02. Mapaseka Makhanya of South Africa was seventh in 2:04.91 ahead of Mozambique's Leonor Odete Piuza 2:08.45. Morocco's Halima Hachlaf did not finish the race. BM
