Making of Champions

True to prediction, Nigerian 400m Champion Folashade Abugan extended her domination across the continent as she emerged African Champion at the ongoing Senior Championships in Marrakech, Morocco, four years after settling for bronze at the 2010 Championships in Nairobi.

Zambia’s Kabange Mupopo had led the semis with 51.54s, as against Abugan’s 52.09s. However the Nigerian had the last laugh in the closely contested final, which she won with a photo finish as both athletes breasted the tape in 51.21s, which was a National Record (NR) for the Zambian and a replication of the Season’s Best (SB) Abugan ran in Calabar to dethrone Regina George as Nigerian champion. Nigeria’s No.2, Patience George Okon secured Bronze in 51.68s while the third Nigerian in the final, Ada Benjamin followed in fourth place with 52.59s, not being able to fully recover from a superb PB of 51.68s the day before!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The absence of Africa’s No.1 and defending champion, Amantle Montsho, who has been provisionally suspended for failing a dope test immediately after the final at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, no doubt went a long way in improving Nigeria’s chances for a medal sweep at the event, though it doesn’t take anything away from the fact that the country’s female quartermilers have been in good form this season, winning a bronze medal at the inaugural IAAF World Relays and a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in the 4x400m.

Abugan was the only Nigerian who made it to the final of the women’s individual 400m race in Glasgow where she finished fifth just behind Montsho. She is however hopeful that her victory will serve as enough motivation for the IAAF Continental Cup which is slated to hold again in Marrakech next month.

“I am so happy to win because four years ago I won a bronze medal but this time around, I am the African champion”, she said.

“This season has been a great one for me as I became national champion, won a bronze at the IAAF World Relays and Silver at the Commonwealth Games. I am going to train harder ahead of the Continental Cup.”

In the men’s 100m final at the ongoing African Championships, Nigeria’s recently recruited National Champion Mark Jelks, who had looked like the African ‘Champion-Elect’ in the Heats and Semis, was denied the African title by Cote d’Ivoire’s Koffi Hua Wilfred, who won the race in a new Personal Best and National Record of 10.05s, while the Nigerian posted a Season’s Best (SB) of 10.07s to win Silver ahead of team mate, Monzavous Edwards who also clocked an SB of 10.16s for the Bronze. Nigeria’s No.3, Ogho-Oghene Egwero placed fifth in 10.28s, just behind defending champion and the continent’s fastest man in 2014, Simon Magakwe who finished outside the medal zone with 10.19s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A29m2M5zaSU

Jelks was not immediately available for comments following the race, perhaps leaving quickly after expecting, but failing to capture the African crown. MAKING OF CHAMPIONS exclusively caught up with Monzavous Edwards later in the day, after he helped Nigeria reach the 4x100m final with the fastest time of 39.51s in the Heats, and he told us what his first medal in Green-White-Green means to him, in the face of the difficult reception he and the other American recruits have received in Nigeria since turning up for the National Trials in June:

“It means a lot to me because I was given a chance by a country when I was forgotten about by a lot of athletes, and by the coaches. So it means a lot to me because they gave me a chance. They gave me a shot.”

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

A lot has been said in Nigeria since the new American recruits arrived. In fact, it has been the hot topic in Nigerian Athletics over the last two months, as the debate has raged on as to whether their presence will actually help or hinder the development of Athletics in Nigeria. Following the Commonwealth Games where they were collectively unable to win any individual medals, and where Jelks was the only one to contest a final, many have asked the question as to whether they would be good enough for medals at a higher level of competition, such as the World Championships or Olympics. 

At these African Championships, Jelks was highly favoured to win the title, as he was the in-form athlete in the field, coming in as the only African who made the 100m Commonwealth Final. But Cote d’Ivoire is not part of the Commonwealth, so Koffi Hua Wilfried came in to steal the show in Marrakech! And so, Nigeria’s wait for another African men’s 100m Champion since the mighty Olusoji Fasuba in 2008 continues (Fasuba is still the African Record Holder with 9.85s). Jelks will likely be disappointed with the outcome, but he will have another chance to go for GOLD when the 200 metres gets underway on Wednesday!

All six Nigerian athletes that were entered for the men and women’s 100m sailed through the heats and semis on Day 1 of the African Senior Athletics Championships in Marrakech, Morocco, to qualify for the final of the event on Monday night

In the women’s semis, Lawreta Ozoh who only returned to action after observing a two year ban, and is competing in the individual 100m for the first time since her return, took third in the first semi with 11.58s. The Commonwealth Games Silver Medallist (in the 4x100m) went against World Championships Double Silver Medallist, Murielle Ahouré who took the heat with 11.19s, the fastest time in the semis.

Commonwealth double gold medallist, Blessing Okagbare won Heat 2 with 11.20s to set up an exciting encounter with the Ivorian in today’s final. Gloria Asumnu placed third in 11.44s. Another Ivorian, Ta Lou Gonezie also secured a place in the last eight with 11.25s, as she came second behind Okagbare. Monday’s race therefore will promises to be a Nigeria versus Cote d’Ivoire affair, which will no doubt set the tracks of the Grande de Stade Marrakech alight, and perhaps, send some records tumbling.

Commonwealth Games finalist, Mark Jelks ran the fastest time in the Semis of the men’s 100 metres and now looks favoured to clinch his first African title. Jelks easily dominated the race, and even had enough time to look behind and gauge his opponents’ speed as he crossed the finish line. The Nigerian champion breasted the tape in 10.16s, beating South Africa’s Akani Simbine to first place in Heat 2. However he has to watch out for Cote d’Ivoire’s Wilfried Koffi Hua who won Heat 1 in 10.17s, and was followed by Monzavous Edward who came second in 10.38s. Ogho-Oghene Egwero was second in Heat 3 in 10.37s, in a photo finish with South Africa’s Simon Magakwe who won it in 10.36s.

Nichole Denby looks good enough for gold in the women’s 100m hurdles, having won Heat 1 (13.20s) ahead of Senegal’s Gnima Faye (13.45s) and Rikenette Steenkamp (13.47s) of South Africa. Heat 2 threw up a surprise in the person of Lindsay Weyinme who competed for Nigeria and was second with 13.39s behind Cote d’ Ivoire’s Rosvitha Bodjiho Okou who led with 13.18s. Conspicuously missing was Ugonna Ndu who was expected to make an appearance at the African Championships for the first time.

Noah Akwu was the sole Nigerian qualifier for the Semis of the men’s 400m, having finished ninth out of the 26 athletes that competed in the heats. He was second in Heat 2 with 46.88s as Botswana’s Onakabets Nkobolo took the lead with 46.78s. In fact all three semis were won by Botswana; Pako Seribe sailed to victory in Heat 1 while African Record Holder, Isaac Makwala sealed the deal in Heat 3 with the fastest time of 45.87s. A Botswana 1-2-3 would not be out of place going by this scenario.

Unfortunately, one of Nigeria’s new American recruits, Robert Simmons was disqualified for a false start in his 2nd race for Team Nigeria, after also not having completed his heat at the Commonwealth Games, where he pulled up injured after 200 metres. He’s not had the best start to his Nigeria career, and some might say that he has not justified his inclusion in the team, after not having competed in the Nigerian Trials in Calabar in June. Current Nigerian Champion Isah Salihu finished 4th is his heat in 47.12s, and 17th in the final rankings, thereby narrowly missing out on the last fastest losers’ spot in the Semis.

Queen Obisesan missed out a place on the podium as she finished fourth in the women’s hammer throw with 59.99m while Stephen Mozia also experienced the same dilemma in the men’s shot put event with 17.65m. The second Nigerian interest in the shot put, Augustine Nwoye took seventh position with 16.90m in his debut at the African Championships.