African Athletics Championships were inaugurated in Dakar in 1979 with 24 contesting nations. Today, it is expanded more than 50 nations.
PARTICIPATION FIGURES
1979: 251* athletes from 24 nations
1982: 297* athletes from 19 nations
1984: 298* athletes from 22 nations
1985: 324* athletes from 24 nations
1988: 341 athletes from 31 nations
1989: 308 athletes from 28 nations
1990: 218 athletes from 23 nations
1992: 336 athletes from 24 nations
1993: 294 athletes from 31 nations
1996: 307 athletes from 32 nations
1998: 395 athletes from 38 nations
2000: 411 athletes from 43 nations
2002: 417 athletes from 41 nations
2004: 431 athletes from 42 nations
2006: 456 athletes from 43 nations
2008: 543 athletes from 45 nations
2010: 625 athletes from 46 nations
2012: 622 athletes from 49 nations
2014: 572 athletes from 48 nations
2016: 627 athletes from 49 nations
2018: 624 athletes from 48 nations + ART (Refugee team)
2022: 654 athletes from 51 nations + ART (Refugee team)
2024: 655 athletes from 50 nations
* Possibly slightly more. Full missing list is not available.
INFO BY MEMBER COUNTRIES
>>> Debut year / Total appearances / Best results (year)
ALG - Algeria: 1979 / 20 / 12-5-9 in 2000
ANG - Angola: 1982 / 12 / 1-0-0 in 1988
BDI - Burundi: 1982 / 17 / 1-0-0 in 1992 & 2012
BEN - Benin: 1979 / 17 / 1-0-0 in 2018
BOT - Botswana: 1992 / 14 / 4-1-1 in 2014
BUR - Burkina Faso: 1979 / 20 / 2-0-0 in 2014
CAF - Central African Rep.: 1988 / 8 / 1-0-0 in 1993
CHA - Chad: 1984 / 14 / 2-0-0 in 2002
CGO - Congo: 1979 / 19 / 0-1-2 in 1996
CIV - Ivory Coast: 1979 / 21 / 3-4-1 in 2014
CMR - Cameroon: 1979 / 17 / 4-8-7 in 1996
COD - Democratic Rep. of Congo: 1984 / 11 / 1-0-0 in 2006
COM - Comoros: 2000 / 7 / No medals.
CPV - Cape Verde: 2002 / 7 / No medals.
DJI - Djibouti: 1982 / 12 / 1-0-0 in 1985 & 2014
EGY - Egypt: 1979 / 21 / 4-2-3 in 2010
ERI - Eritrea: 2002 / 6 / 1-0-1 in 2014
ETH - Ethiopia: 1979 / 19 / 6-6-3 in 2008
GAB - Gabon: 1979 / 16 / 2-0-0 in 1982
GAM - Gambia: 1979 / 17 / 0-1-1 in 2016
GBS - Guinea Bissau: 1996 / 6 / 0-1-0 in 2018
GEQ - Equatorial Guinea: 1996 / 6 / No medals.
GHA - Ghana: 1979 / 20 / 5-1-2 in 2000
GUI - Guinea: 1979 / 12 / 1-0-0 in 2008
KEN - Kenya: 1979 / 20 / 12-10-12 in 1982
LBA - Libya: 1984 / 7 / 1-0-0 in 2010
LBR - Liberia: 1989 / 10 / 0-0-1 in four occasions.
LES - Lesotho: 1993 / 10 / 1-0-1 in 2010
MAD - Madagascar: 1988 / 15 / 2-1-0 in 1993
MAR - Morocco: 1979 / 19 / 7-3-8 in 1984
MAW - Malawi: 1993 / 5 / No medals.
MLI - Mali: 1979 / 21 / 0-2-1 in 2004
MOZ - Mozambique: 1984 / 16 / 2-0-0 in 1990 & 1993
MRI - Mauritius: 1979 / 16 / 2-2-0 in 2000
MTN - Mauritania: 1988 / 4 / No medals.
NAM - Namibia: 1992 / 12 / 2-2-0 in 2002
NGR - Nigeria: 1979 / 20 / 14-12-9 in 1989
NIG - Niger: 1988 / 5 / No medals.
RSA - South Africa: 1992 / 14 / 16-16-15 in 1992
RWA - Rwanda: 1979 / 14 / 1-0-0 in 1988
SEN - Senegal: 1979 / 21 / 6-4-2 in 1982
SEY - Seychelles: 1989 / 16 / 1-2-0 in 1996
SLE - Sierra Leone: 1984 / 9 / No medals.
SOM - Somalia: 1982 / 9 / 0-1-0 in 1985
SSD - South Sudan: 2016 / 2 / No medals.
STP - Sao Tome & Principe: 1998 / 6 / No medals.
SUD - Sudan: 1979 / 14 / 2-1-1 in 2004
SWZ - Swaziland: 1992 / 10 / 1-0-0 in 2018
TAN - Tanzania: 1979 / 12 / 3-0- 1 in 1982
TGO - Togo: 1979 / 15 / 0-1-1 in 2004
TUN - Tunisia: 1979 / 19 / 6-2-1 in 2000
UGA - Uganda: 1979 / 17 / 2-1-1 in 1988
ZAM - Zambia: 1988 / 14 / 1-0-1 in 2016
ZIM - Zimbabwe: 1984 / 16 / 1-0-1 in 2004
Total - 55 countries
TOP OF THE MEDAL TABLE
1979: Nigeria 8-9-7
1982: Kenya 12-10-12
1984: Kenya 10-6-3
1985: Nigeria 11-10-3
1988: Nigeria 11-2-3
1989: Nigeria 14-12-9 (host)
1990: Nigeria 10-10-9
1992: South Africa 16-16-15 (host)
1993: South Africa 15-16-10 (host)
1996: Nigeria 9-4-2
1998: Nigeria 10-7-5
2000: Algeria 12-5-9 (host)
2002: South Africa 8-0-3
2004: South Africa 10-12-8
2006: South Africa 10-11-6
2008: South Africa 12-2-8
2010: Kenya 10-7-8 (host)
2012: Nigeria 10-6-4
2014: South Africa 10-5-4
2016: South Africa 16-8-9
2018: Kenya 11-6-3
2022: Kenya 10-5-8
2024: South Africa 7-5-8
TOP 5 MOST SUCCESSFUL ATHLETES
Mary Onyali-Omagbemi, Nigeria, 8-2-0
Hakim Toumi, Algeria, 7-1-1
Blessing Okagbare, Nigeria, 7-1-0
Syrine Balti-Ebondo, Tunisia, 7-0-0
Chris Harmse, South Africa, 6-3-0
TOP 10 PERFORMANCE BY WA POINTS TABLE
1249 Ignisious Gaisah (GHA) - 8.53w in LJ (2006)
1245 Beatrice Chepkoech (KEN) - 8:59.88 in 3000SC (2018)
1240 David Rudisha (KEN) - 1:42.84 in 800m (2010)
1236 Rushwahl Samaai (RSA) - 8.45 in LJ (2018)
1234 Isaac Makwala (BOT) - 44.23 in 400m (2014)
1234 Caster Semenya (RSA) - 1:56.06 in 800m (2018)
1231 Frankie Fredericks (NAM) - 9.93w in 100m (2002)
1228 Maria Mutola (MOZ) - 1:56.36 in 800m (1993)
1227 Seun Ogunkoya (NGR) - 9.94 in 100m (1998)
1225 Rushwahl Samaai (RSA) - 8.40w in LJ (2016)
EVENT DOMINANCE
(Total medals in a specific event)
37 Kenya - Men's 3000SC (13-14-10)
34 Kenya - Men's 5000m (12-11-11)
32 Kenya - Men's 1500m (17-7-8)
29 Nigeria - Women's 100m (12-6-11)
29 Kenya - Men's 800m (14-10-5)
26 Egypt - Men's HT (7-8-11)
25 Nigeria - Women's LJ (12-9-4)
25 Kenya - Women's 10,000m (9-11-5)
24 Kenya - Women's 3000/5000m (9-8-7)
23 Kenya - Men's 10,000m (8-8-7)
22 Nigeria - Women's 400m (8-6-8)
21 Nigeria - Men's 100m (9-5-7)
