Namibian long jump champion Chenoult Lionel Coetzee won the Addis Ababa Grand Prix with a 7.89m jump, reinforcing his strong form ahead of the upcoming national championships.
Ethiopian Buli Melaku placed second with a recorded 7.75m, while Marouane Kacimi from Morocco recorded 7.66m to settle for a bronze medal.
Coetzee is expected to continue his superb performance at the upcoming Bank Windhoek Athletics Namibia Senior National Championships at Windhoek’s Independence Stadium on Friday.
The Africa Championship silver medalist boasts a national record of 8.27m, while his season best stands at 7.89m.
In February, Coetzee set an impressive performance at the Khomas Athletics Championship.
He won the men’s long jump with a distance of 7.71m, equivalent to 1 074 points on the World Athletics’ points scoring system, and not far off his national record of 8.27m set three years ago.
In an interview with The Namibian Sport, Coetzee says he is aiming for the Commonwealth Games.
“I’m aiming for the Commonwealth Games. I think the qualifying standard is 7.88m, but last year I jumped 7.98m, so I have to prove myself this year again so I can be on the team. I think the qualification for the African Champs is 7.88m, so I’ve already qualified for that one.”
He adds that 2024 was a very blessed year for him.
“I got silver at the African Championships and hopefully this year I can get the gold medal.”
The debut of the Addis Ababa Grand Prix International Athletics Competition marked a historic milestone in Ethiopia’s sporting history.
Held at the Addis Ababa Stadium, the event was the first of its kind in the country and signalled the beginning of a new era for Ethiopia’s sport tourism industry.
The competition has officially been awarded bronze status by World Athletics. Beyond providing a platform for professional athletes, the event is positioned as a gateway for the capital city to host even larger international sporting fixtures in the future.
The Ethiopian government has expressed a renewed focus on the sport sector, viewing it as a dual-purpose tool for economic benefits such as transitioning athletic success into tangible financial growth and building Ethiopia’s international reputation through high-profile events.
Officials note that the Grand Prix is a direct response to the national goal of elevating Ethiopia’s world-renowned athletics prestige into a thriving sport tourism sector.
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