Athletics: the three best African sprinters of 2024

Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith, the queen

At 35, Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith is still the dominant force in African sprinting. The Ivorian proved it again with an outstanding 2024, including a 100m win at the Jamaica Athletics Invitational in Kingston in a time of 10s91. She finished ahead of local runners Krystal Sloley (11s09) and Kemba Nelson (11s12). Named flag bearer of the Ivorian delegation, Ta Lou was fired up. She showed it in the heats, where she even beat Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. Unfortunately, in the final, she suffered a muscle tear mid-race and saw her Olympic medal hopes go up in smoke. She finished 8th and missed the 200m. Still, champions always bounce back after setbacks. Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith proved it last September at the Athlos meeting (100% women's) in the United States. She won the 100m in 10s98, taking victory in the inaugural edition of the event.

Of note, Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith was world silver medallist over 100 metres and 200 metres in London in 2017, and is a three-time African champion over 100m and a two-time African champion over 200m.

🇨🇮Marie-Josee Ta Lou 10.91 (+1.1) to win the Jamaica Athletics Invitational 100mpic.twitter.com/rYWXBI5Y73

— Travis Miller (@travismillerx13) May 12, 2024

Jessika Gbaï, the rising star

In Côte d’Ivoire, the nation seems to be bidding farewell to Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith (35) and welcoming Jessika Gbaï (25) with open arms. At her first Olympic Games this summer, Gbaï made it to the 200m final, although she did not win a medal. Her Olympic qualification came thanks to her win in the 200 metres at the Jeux de la Francophonie in Kinshasa in 2023. In June 2024, she made headlines again with 200m gold at the African Championships in Douala in a time of 22 s 84. In April 2024, she had also written her name into the history books of Ivorian athletics with the national 400 metres record in Côte d'Ivoire (51s94). That came in Florida, on the Percy Beard track. 2024 was therefore the year she confirmed her class. Let's hope for Côte d’Ivoire that she keeps flying the country's flag high on the continental and world stage.

Read also: Athletics: who are the 3 best African sprinters of the season?

Gina Mariam Bass Bittaye retains her title

In 2024, Gina Mariam Bass Bittaye impressed once again, this time at the African Championships in Douala, Cameroon, in June. The Gambian won 100m gold in 11s14, retaining the title she had won two years earlier in Mauritius. She was also victorious at the African Games in Accra a few weeks earlier, first over 100m in a time of 11s36, then over 200m in 23s13. Qualified for the 2024 Olympics, the 29-year-old was Gambia's flag bearer alongside judoka Faye Njie. Even though she did not shine in Paris, 2024 will remain a successful year for her.