Oussama Mellouli of Tunisia won Gold in the 10 km marathon open water, to become the first swimmer to ever win olympic medals in both the pool and open water.  He had also won bronze in the 1500m freestyle in London, and was the Beijing Gold winner for 1500m freestyle.

Tirunesh Dibaba, the baby-face destroyer, took Gold in 10,000 m run to retain her title, and bronze in the 5000 m. I will take this opportunity to salute her for running in the 5000m even after suffering a harmstring the day before the 5000m run.  Kenyans  Sally Kipyego and Vivian Cheruiyot won silver and bronze respectively in the 10,000m.  Meseret Defar took the gold in the 5000m, reclaiming back the gold medal she had won in 2004 during the Athens Olympics, but had lost in 2008 to Tirunesh Dibaba.  Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot took the silver home in the 5000m, followed by Tirunesh Dibaba.

Tariku Bekele, Kenenisa Bekele‘s little brother took the bronze medal in the men’s 10,000m.

David Rudisha of Kenya, became the first man to break a record at the London Olympics, in the 800m.  He ran the 800 m with such majesty and speed, he almost looked like an impala, very graceful.  Nijel Amos won a silver medal to offer Botswana its very first Olympic medal; while Timothy Kitum of Kenya took home the bronze medal.

Caster Semenya of South Africa won a silver medal in the women’s 800m run.  Watching her run, one could already see the potential, and had she not started far in the back, I believe she would have won the gold medal.

Taoufik Makhloufi of Algeria stunned us by getting disqualified from the olympics because of ‘not trying hard enough’ (whatever that means) in the men’s 800m, getting reinstated, and then going on to win the gold medal by a huge margin, in the 1500m.  He definitely made us proud… telling us that one can always beat all the odds.  Moroccan Abdalaati Iguider took home the bronze medal.

Ezekiel Kemboi won gold in the 3000 m steeplechase, while his Kenyan compatriot Abel Kiprop Mutai took the bronze.

South Africa is the African country who won the most medals at the London Olympics, with three gold, two silver, and one bronze medals.  Swimmers Chad le Clos and Cameron van der Burgh both won gold in 200m butterfly and 100m breaststroke respectively.  Chad also took home the silver medal for the 100m butterfly.  Sizwe Ndlovu, John Smith, Matthew Brittain, and James Thompson of South Africa won gold in the men’s lightweight four.

Ethiopian Tiki Gelana won gold in the women’s marathon, followed by Kenya’s Priscah Jeptoo.

Ugandan Stephen Kiprotich claimed the gold medal in the men’s marathon, making it Uganda’s first gold medal since 1972.  He was followed by two Kenyans who won silver and bronze: Abel Kirui and Wilson Kipsang.

Anthony Obame won Gabon’s first ever medal, by claiming the silver medal in taekwondo.

Alaeeldin Abouelkassem of Egypt won silver in fencing, becoming Africa’s first medal in fencing.

Overall, although I was quite disappointed by the performance of the Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes, particularly that of Kenenisa Bekele, I salute those who raised our flags high and made us proud of being Africans.  I am sure children in Botswana would now take to running like Nijel Amos, and I am sure children in Gabon will join taekwondo’s clubs like Obame, while Tunisians will learn to swim as well as Oussama Mellouli who made them all extremely proud.