The women's 10,000 metres was restored to the programme after a break in 1992. A women's triple jump was contested for the first time. The men's 20 km road race made its third and final appearance at the championships, as junior road events were largely dropped from international competitions. The men's hurdles finals were only recorded to the tenth of a second due to technical limitations. Wind affected parts of the competition, particularly the 200 metres races and the horizontal jumps.[1]
On the women's side, Fatma Lanouar won the 800 metres in Tunis and was a two-time Mediterranean Games champion as a senior.[6] The runner-up in that event, 16-year-old Hasna Benhassi of Morocco, had even greater success in her career, which included two Olympic and two World Championships medals.[7] Future African champion Aïda Sellam of Tunisia won the javelin throw and a shot put bronze medal on home turf. The winner of the women's walk, Nagwa Ibrahim Ali, would become a prominent athlete in her discipline regionally, with three African titles to her name.[1][4]
