At just 19 years old, Gabon’s Kenza G. Falana has made a significant mark on African athletics by setting a new continental hammer throw record with a throw of 61.06 meters, achieved in Germany.
Competing at the Fränkisch-Crumbach meeting on May 24, 2026, the young athlete surpassed the previous African record of 61.01 meters, held since 2009 by Egypt’s Rana Taha, becoming the new continental benchmark in the U20 category. With this performance, she further confirms her status as one of the discipline’s most promising talents.
The achievement was announced by her mother, Mathe Ndongo Falana, who closely follows her daughter’s career. While celebrating the record-breaking performance, she also highlighted the ongoing challenges Kenza faces, particularly the lack of structured institutional support.
According to her mother, the athlete’s progress has largely been driven by personal and family efforts, despite the sacrifices made to enable her to compete at the highest level. She called on the Gabonese authorities to strengthen their support in order to fully develop and showcase such sporting potential.
Beyond the individual achievement, the record has reignited debate about the conditions under which athletes are supported in Gabon, where many talented sportspeople continue to compete with limited resources despite achieving international-level performances.
With this new record, Kenza G. Falana has established herself as one of the rising stars of African athletics and may now set her sights even higher on the international stage as major competitions approach.