Tjipekapora Herunga and Globine Mayova finished sixth and seventh respectively in the women’s 200m final at the African Athletics Championships in Porto Novo, Benin on Sunday.
Herunga finished sixth in a time of 23,92 while Mayova came seventh in 24,30.
The race was won by Gloria Asumnu of Nigeria in 22,93, while compatriot Lawretta Ozoh came second although she was awarded the same time.
Marie Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast won the bronze medal, in 23,44, with South Africa’s Tsholofelo Thipe just missing out on a medal after coming fourth in 23,66.
After Herunga’s disqualification in the 400m due to a false start, she was determined to make amends in the 200m and started off strongly, winning her first round heat in 23,98.
She qualified for the final after coming third in her semifinal heat in a fast time of 23,59, which was close to her personal best time of 23,40, but in the final she could not produce this time again.
Mayova could not reproduce the same form that saw her winning several races in South Africa during April and May, when she also set a new Namibian 200m record of 23,39.
She was desperately close to the Olympic B qualifying time of 23,30, but failed to come close to this time in Benin.
In her first round heat she came second in Heat 2 in 24,81 and in the semifinal heat she came 24,13.
There is now just a week left before the deadline for Olympic qualification so the odds are stacked against Mayova to still qualify for the Olympic Games.