Ethiopia led all African countries at the ninth IAAF World Indoor Athletics Championships, winning two gold medals and one silver in Birmingham, England.
Haile Gebrselassie and Berhane Adere swept the men's and women's three thousand meters titles for Ethiopia. In addition, Meseret Defar of Ethiopia won the bronze medal in the women's three thousand meters.
Like Haile Gebrselassie, Maria Mutola is also an Olympic champion. The Mozambican star who is nicknamed "The Maputo Express" powered her way to her fifth world indoor title in the women's 800-meters in Birmingham. Maria is the first female track athlete to win five world indoor gold medals.
Other African countries winning medals in Birmingham were Cameroon, with two silver medals; Kenya, with a silver and two bronze; and Morocco and Senegal, which each won a bronze. The athletics festival in England was held between March 14 - March 16. Haile Gebrselassie, Berhane Adere and Maria Mutola are all expected to race for more gold medals later this year at the IAAF World Outdoor Athletics Championships in Paris.