Youth Olympics: Martha Bissah grabs Gold for Ghana

Ghana’s Martha Bissah became the first Ghanaian to win an Olympic gold medal at any level after running a massive personal best and setting a national record of 2:04.90 to snatch victory in the 800m final at the ongoing Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China on Saturday.

Bissah, who is the reigning national Sea and Shore Circuit 800m Champion, kept pace with an early breakaway group before outsprinting them with about 150 meters to end the race.

Bissah won the race in 2.04.90 followed by Ethiopia’s Hawi Alemu Negeri in 2:06.01(PB) while Germany’s Mareen Kalis took third place in 2:06.03.

The 17-year-old ran a lifetime best in a race that featured a stupendous final 200m strait as the highlight.

Ahead of the race, Ethiopia’s Negeri Hawi Alem was the hot favourite but came second to the teenager from the Aduman Senior High School.

Bissah has had a good year, after doing well at the African Youth Games in Botswana, where she won 800m bronze in 2:09:50.

The lass is one of Ghana’s crack team of young athletes coming through as has been evidenced this year at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and African Athletics Championships in Marrakech, Morocco.