'I want to cry' - Africa's fastest woman fumes over poor treatment at African Championships

Africa’s fastest woman Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith has expressed her disappointment at the poor treatment she has been subjected to, alongside her team, at the Africa Athletics Championships.

Ta Lou-Smith fumed at the chaotic travel arrangements for athletes at the event, which started on Friday in Doula, Cameroon, saying she had to hire a taxi to the stadium when other athletes had been escorted by security personnel to the venue.

“My team have to take a yango (taxi) to go to the stadium because the transportation sucks,” Ta Lou-Smith posted on social media in a series of tweets complaining about the situation.

“I am hurt and disappointed. There is so much I wanted to say about the organisation of the African championship.”

The sprinter says she expected a better treatment in Cameroon but what she has witnessed left a bitter taste as she feels other athletes have been handled differently.

“Coming here I had so much expectation! So much!!! If we want things to change, we need to do better. We have now some high-level athletes," she added.

“I want to cry because why? And on top of that, we on the taxi we see another African team with a police escort. Like why not do it for everybody?”

The social media meltdown from the four-time African champion brings to the fore the chaotic nature of the continental event which has been met with complaints of poor organisation even at previous editions.

Ta Lou-Smith, who last won African gold in 2018 in both 100m and 200m, clocked a season’s best 22.36 to finish second in 200m at the Oslo Diamond League early this month, after a time of 11.05 in the 100m at the Prefontaine Classic, the Eugene Diamond League, where she managed sixth place.

She confirmed after second place in 100m in a slower time of 11.16 at the Stockholm Diamond League that she has been dealing with a leg injury and promised to work with her coach to find the best possible solution.

The 35-year-old is among the star athletes at the African Championships in what is her fifth appearance at the event.