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Another American, Robert Simmons, switches allegiances to Team Nigeria @ Commonwealth Games

28 Jul

Watch out for the first ever appearance 25-year-old American Robert Simmons in Nigeria’s colours in the 400 metres at 11.46am – it is unlcear when and how Simmons switched allegiance to Team Nigeria, considering that he did not appear at the National Trials in Calabar in June, which should have served as the qualifiers for the Commonwealth Games. Omeiza Akerele finished 3rd at the trials but was part of Nigeria’s team at the World Junior Championships which just concluded in the US yesterday, so perhaps the decision was made for him to compete there instead!

For anyone arriving late to this party, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding Nigeria’s new American recruits, who largely dominated proceedings at the Nigerian Trials in June, particularly regarding their eligibility for the Green Passport of Nigeria, and whether they are good enough to win global medals for Nigeria. According to Simmons’ IAAF Profile, he has a PB of 45.19s set this season, which places him 18th amongst Commowealth Athletes this season, suggesting that though he is an improvement on Nigeria’s current quarter-milers who have struggled to break 46 seconds for some time now, he is unlikely to win a medal at these Games.

The question on his eligibility for the Nigerian passport is another one altogether. We will update you when we found out more about his switch!

 

Men’s 400m ROUND 1 TODAY

11.32am – Heat 2 – Salihu Isah (NGR No. 1, C’wealth No. 49) vs Wayde Van Niekerk (RSA, C’wealth No. 4)

11.39am – Heat 3 – Noah Akwu (NGR No. 2, outside C’wealth Top 50) vs Kirani James (GRN, Olympic Champion & C’wealth No. 1)

11.46am – Heat 4 – Robert Simmons (American – never competed for Nigeria previously! C’wealth No. 18)

Robbert Simmons, formerly of Team USA, now of Team Nigeria!

Robbert Simmons, formerly of Team USA, now of Team Nigeria!

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Nigeria in bright start as Athletics takes center stage in Glasgow!

27 Jul

Eight out of the nine athletes representing Nigeria on the first day of Athletics at the Commonwealth Games secured their places in the semi-finals of their respective events on Sunday. In Heat 1 of the women’s 100m, Gloria Asumnu finished second in 11.43s and qualified for the semis behind Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown who led with 11.29s, while Blessing Okagbare dominated Heat 5 with a time of 11.20s and was followed by England’s Asha Philip (11.47s). Home-based athlete Justina Sule was the only casualty on Day One as she finished a distant sixth in Heat 4 with in a time of just 12.00s, more than half a second down from her PB of 11.49s, which she set in Calabar in June.

Asumnu will once again race against Campbell-Brown in the semis on Monday in Heat 2, and will have a good chance of reaching the 100m final if she gets close to her Season’s best of 11.15s. Meanwhile, 100m African record holder, Okagbare will go head to head against Jamaica’s Kerron Stewart in Heat 3. Okagbare looked supremely comfortable in her Heat and is strongly favoured to scale the semi-final and contest for a medal in final, also taking place on Monday!

In the men’s category, Mark Jelks started on a winning note in his debut for Nigeria as he won Heat 3 in 10.28s and qualified for the semis alongside Warren Fraser from the Bahamas (10.31s) and Trinidad & Tobago’s Richard Thompson, the Commonwealth No. 1.this year whom was surprisingly beaten into 3rd with 10.33s. England’s Adam Gemili was the fastest athlete in Round 1, winning Heat 6 in 10.15s, and was followed by runner-up in the National Trials, Monzavous Edwards, also making his first appearance for Nigeria, having recently obtained the green passport. The 33-year old qualified for the semis in a time of 10.40s. Former national champion, Ogho-Oghene Egwero was not left out as he posted 10.38s to move on to the next round along with South Africa’s Akani Simbine who topped Heat 8 with a time of 10.32s.

In the semi-finals, Jelks and Edwards swap their opponents from the 1st Round – Jelks, Nigeria’s current 100m champion, will have his work cut out for him as he takes on Adam Gemili in the semis on Monday, while Edwards will need to make a remarkable improvement if he is to get past Richard Thompson who has an SB of 9.82s. Egwero will go against Jamaica’s Nickel Ashmeade and another South African, Simon Magakwe, in the semi-finals. Magakwe is the fastest African in the 100m this year with an SB of 9.98s while Egwero has posted a time of 10.18s.

In the women’s 400m, the trio of Regina George, Folashade Abugan and Omolara Omotosho all qualified from the heats to the next round of the competition. Coincidentally, all three athletes finished second in their respective heats. George who competed in Heat 1 returned a time of 53.92s, while Omotosho posted a faster time of 53.02s behind Jamaica’s Stephenie McPherson who led with 52.25s in Heat 4. National champion Abugan trailed behind reigning Commonwealth champion, Amantle Montsho in 52.54s in Heat 5. Montsho looks ready to defend her title as she ran posted the fastest time in the heats, 51.88s.

Abugan faces stiff competition in Monday’s semi-finals, as she will be contending with Christine Day of Jamaica who has run the second fastest time in the Commonwealth this year (50.16s), while compatriot, Omotosho will compete against McPherson who has posted an SB of 50.40s. Two-time national champion Regina George finds herself in a STACKED semi-final that includes TWO of the current  heavyweights in her event, Botswana’s Montsho and Jamaica’s Novlene Williams-Mills, who is ranked No 1 in the Commonwealth this year with 50.05s.

Regina will likely have to do something special (or at least run a fast time to qualify as a fastest loser) to justify her inclusion in the individual 400m in place of namesake (no relation) Patience Okon George who finished above her at the Nigerian Trials in June – watch this space!

 

Team Nigeria Guide to 2014 Commonwealth Games Athletics – DAY 1 (Sunday July 27th)

27 Jul

Here’s the full schedule of ALL Team Nigeria Athletes competing in Track & Field DAY ONE (Sunday July 27th) at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. You can catch this LIVE on SuperSports 4, OR follow Making of Champions’ LIVE TWEETS and POSTS throughout the day – stay tuned!

Men’s 100m ROUND 1

2.51pm – Heat 3 – Mark Jelks (NGR No. 1, C’wealth No. 30) vs Richard Thompson (TTO, C’wealth No. 1)

3.12pm – Heat 6 – Monzavous  Edwards (NGR No. 3, C’wealth No. 64) vs Adam Gemili (ENG, C’wealth No. 15) & Darrel Brown (TTO, C’wealth No. 17)

3.26pm – Heat 8 – Ogho-Oghene Egwero (NGR No. 2, C’wealth No. 45) vs Akani Simbine (RSA, C’wealth No. 10) & Aaron Brown (CAN, C’wealth No. 20)

See Making of Champions’ men’s 100m Commonwealth rankings and analysis here!

 

Women’s 100m ROUND 1

3.55pm – Heat 1 – Gloria Asumnu (NGR No. 2, C’wealth No. 13) vs Veronica Campbell-Brown (JAM No. 1, C’wealth No. 2)

4.14pm – Heat 4 – Justina Sule (NGR No. 3) vs Michelle Lee-Ahye (TTO, C’wealth No. 1)

4.23pm – Heat 5 – BLESSING OKAGBARE (NGR No. 1, C’wealth No. 3). Others include England’s Asha Philip…

See Making of Champions’ women’s 100m Commonwealth rankings and analysis here!

 

Women’s 400m ROUND 1

4.55pm – Heat 1 – Regina George (NGR No. 2, C’wealth No. 11)

5.16pm – Heat 4 – Omolara Omotosho (NGR No. 3, C’wealth N0. 14) vs Stephenie Ann McPherson (JAM No. 3, C’wealth No. 4)

5.23pm – Heat 5 – Folashade Abugan (NGR No. 1, C’wealth No. 7) vs Amantle Monstho (C’wealth No. 3, DEFENDING CHAMPION)

See Making of Champions’ women’s 400m Commonwealth rankings and analysis here!

 

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Nigerian quartet in uphill battle for individual 400m medals, but look good in the 4x400m!

27 Jul

Nigeria’s quartet of Folasade Abugan, Regina George, Omolara Omotosho and Patience Okon George have become a formidable  force in the 4x400m relay, following their  heroics at the maiden IAAF World Relays in the Bahamas in May where the team scooped the country’s only medal (Bronze) of the competition.

That said, their chances of winning global medals in the individual 400m, starting with the Commonwealth Games this week, might yet prove challenging going by current statistics, although the possibility of at least one of them staging an upset cannot be totally ruled out. Abugan (SB 51.21s), who dethroned Regina George as national champion in June, is the highest ranked of the quartet in amongst Commonwealth Athletes this year in 7th, while Okon George (51.29s), Regina George (51.30s) and Omotosho (51.56s) occupy the 10th, 11th and 14th spots respectively in the 2014 Commonwealth ratings.

2014 CWG Womens 400 list copy

The athlete to beat in the women’s 400m will likely be Jamaica’s Novlene Williams-Mills (SB 50.05s), number one in the Commonwealth this year, and dominant on the Diamond League circuit earlier this season, before USA’s McCorory and Richards-Ross took over and are the only athletes in the world to break 50 seconds this season. With USA not competing here, Williams-Mills stiffest should come from none other than reigning African and Commonwealth champion, Amantle Montsho from Botswana who will be here to defend her title. Montsho, a former world champion has the third fastest time (50.37s) amongst Commonwealth Athletes, with Jamaica’s Christine Day (50.16) and Stephenie Ann McPherson (50.40s).

With 3 of the top 4 Commonwealth Athletes this year, the Jamaican’s look an extremely good bet for 4x400m Relay GOLD as they rule the Commonwealth standings with 3.23.26 from the World Relays, with the Nigerian quartet looking good for the Silver after posting an SB of 2.23.41 in the Bahamas as well, Nigeria’s 3rd fastest quartet in history, and the fastest by any Nigerian Quartet since the Falilat Ogunkoya-led team of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

That notswithstanding, they would have to watch out for Team England who could be out to spring a surprise on their ‘home turf’, despite world champion, Christine Ohuruogu’s fitness battles. Ohuruogu, the former Olympic champion, is still the highest ranked Briton this season with 51.66 in 15th while her England teammates Anyika Onuora (51.78s), Emily Diamond (51.95s) and Shana Cox (52.11s) are 18th, 22nd and 24th respectively in the Commonwealth standings – don’t count them out just yet!

STOP PRESS: We have just gathered that the THREE from the Nigerian quartet who will compete in the individual 400m are Regina George, Omotosho and Abugan – their heats are coming up TODAY (Sunday) at 4.55pm, 5.16pm and 5.23pm respectively – the latter two will face McPherson and Montsho head one – don’t miss them! Commiserations to Okon George who is actually Nigeria’s N0. 2 this year but misses out on competing in the individual event (we hope the selectors made the best decision)! Undoubtedly she’ll be back for the Relays later in the week!

MoC PREDICTION: ALL THREE Nigerian girls competing can make the final, and we expect at least TWO of them to do it. Which TWO? Difficult to say, Abugan as the Nigerian Champion seems the surest bet, while Regina George desperately needs to find her last year’s form to reach the final and justify her inclusion in the individual 400m, despite finishing only 4th at the Nigerian Trials. We expect a JAM-BOT-JAM 1-2-3 in the final, but hopefully one of our girls can spring a surprise and snatch a medal!

In the 4x400m Relay later in the week, it will be all about Jamaica vs Nigeria! Jamaica’s are certainly favourites for the GOLD, but considering how close Team Nigeria ran them at the World Relays, the GOLD is certainly not too far for our girls to reach for. If Christine Ohuruogu is anywhere near back to here best form, she should help Team England to the Bronze!

 

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Okagbare faces stiff test for 100m Commonwealth GOLD, Asumnu is a possible finalist!

26 Jul

Exactly 20 years ago, one of the country’s most outstanding athletes, Mary Onyali returned a time of 11.06secs to win the women’s 100m at the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada, and Nigeria’s sprint queen, Blessing Okagbare will be aiming for same as Athletics takes off in Glasgow on Sunday.

However, Okagbare, who is the nation’s brightest prospect at the games, will have her work cut out for her as she goes head-to-head with Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle-Lee Ahye and Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown in a bid to secure her first Commonwealth Games title two decades after a Nigerian last won the crown.

Compatriot, Damola Osayomi won the 100m in Delhi four years ago but had to be stripped of the medal and banned after her doping test came back positive for the stimulant methylhexanamine, while Natasha Mayers of St. Vincent and the Grenadines was elevated to first position.

Okagbare recently ran a Season’s Best (SB) of 10.97secs at the Monaco Diamond League, but Ahye is unbeaten in the 100m this season, as is  USA’s Tori Bowie, who currently World Leader this year with 10.80secs. Ahye tops the Commonwealth ranking with the world’s second fastest time of 10.85s, while Campbell-Brown follows closely with 10.86s:

2014 CWG Womens 100 list copy

Even though Okagbare comes to the competition with the third fastest time, she could still storm to gold at the Hampden Park on Monday if she is able to rediscover the form that saw her lower the African 100m record to 10.79s – that time would almost certainly claim GOLD but given that Blessing has been concentrating on the 200 metres this season, this might have had an effect on both her speed and her confidence to claim the 100m crown!

Fellow Nigerian Gloria Asumnu also looks like a good bet for the 100m final as she occupies the 13th position in Commonwealth with a time of 11.15secs – even though EIGHT of the athletes ahead of her are Jamaican, only 3 of them can compete at the Games!

MoC PREDICTION: Our heart say GOLD for Blessing, but our head says it will be Silver or Bronze in the 100 metres. Gloria will do well to get to the final, but a medal will be out of her reach, unless she can run a PB and go under 11 seconds.

The good news is, with these two in our 4x100m team, they should be in good shape for a Relay medal next weekend! (Silver or Bronze – Jamaica will get the GOLD, unless they drop the baton or are disqualified)!

 

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Nigeria’s American Athletes – Are they good enough to win Commonwealth Medals?

26 Jul

There has been much controversy and talk since June at the Nigerian Trials for the Commonwealth Games, which heralded a new era of American Athletes with little or no clear lineage from Nigeria attending and dominating at those National Championships. While there has been widespread disapproval by some former Nigerian Olympians and local coaches of this new practice of recruiting Americans to represent Nigeria, there has also been a lingering school of thought which has followed the reasoning that, surely if they are better than what we have at home, they should be allowed to represent Nigeria? IF they can win medals for Team Nigeria at international competitions, then why not?

Well, here at MAKING OF CHAMPIONS we have crunched some very interesting numbers, to show you exactly what chance (IF ANY) our new American recruits have of winning medals at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, where the Athletics programme is kicking off tomorrow. We have EXCLUSIVELY put together 2014 Commonwealth Athlete rankings to analyse Nigeria’s medal chances in FOUR events that our new Athletes will be competing in – the men’s 100m, 200m, 11om Hurdles, and the women’s 100m Hurdles!

Today, we analyse the chances of Nigeria’s current 100m  Champion, 30-year-old Mark Jelks, and runner-up in both 100m and 200m at the Nigerian trials, 33-year-old Monzavous Edwards, both of whom recently switched allegiances from Team USA to Team Naija. Have they improved Nigeria’s mens sprint pool?

*Divine Oduduru ran a wind-assisted 20.25s (2.3m/s) to win Silver at World Juniors in Eugene on July 25th 2014. Had the wind not been above the 2.0m/s limit for records, he would place 11th in the 200m list!

*Divine ran a wind-assisted 20.25s (2.3 m/s) to win Silver at World Juniors in Eugene on July 25th 2014. Had the wind not been above the 2 m/s limit for records, he would place 11th in the 200m list!

Despite the fact that Jelks is CURRENTLY faster than anyone else on Team Nigeria in the 100 metres, he only places 30th among Commonwealth Athletes in 2014 – ahead of him are EIGHT Jamaicans, SEVEN Brits, FOUR Trinadadians, TWO South Africans, TWO from St Kitts & Nevis and one each from four other countries. Even when you take into account that each country can only enter three athletes per event, it becomes very apparent that Jelks may well struggle to reach the Commonwealth 100m final, let alone win a medal! The odds of Edwards reaching the 100m final are even much slimmer – he’s only ranked 64th amongst Commonwealth athletes this year, and would be very difficult the argue that he is an upgrade from the likes of upcoming 22 year old Seye Ogunlewe, and former Nigerian Champions Egwero and Metu.

Mark 'Amuju' Jelks, 2014 Nigerian 100m Champion, recently switched allegiances from Team USA

Mark ‘Amuju’ Jelks, 2014 Nigerian 100m Champion, recently switched allegiances from Team USA

The emergence of Divine Oduduru with a World Junior Silver in the 200 metres in a stunning wind-assisted time of 20.25s also further calls into question the necessity (or indeed the wisdom) of recruiting older Americans to represent Nigeria. Oduduru, who could be representing Nigeria for another ten years or more, had already comfortably beaten 33-year-old Edwards at the Nigeria Trials with a time of 20.87s to 21.34s, a time that does not even rank Edwards in the top 100 in the Commonwealth for 200 metres this year – indeed only one year in his whole career did he run faster than 20.40s (he has a 20.17s PB from 2009). It would be surprising to see Edwards make it out of Round 1 in Glasgow, if he indeed attempts the 200 metres this week. There are already calls for Oduduru to be flown directly from Glasgow to Eugene to compete in the 200 metres which starts on Wednesday, so that Nigeria could have a decent showing in the event!

Monzavous 'Jolomi' Edwards, recently switched allegiances from Team USA, and placed second in the 100 metres at the 2014 Nigerian Trials

Monzavous ‘Jolomi’ Edwards, recently switched allegiances from Team USA, and placed second in the 100 metres at the 2014 Nigerian Trials

Finally, given all the countries listed above who have TWO or more athletes in the 100m Top 30 (Jamaica, England, Trinidad & Tobago, South Africa, St Kitts & Nevis) and even the Bahamas who has THREE in the top 35, we have to say that it is also rather unlikely that Nigeria will get a medal in the men’s 4x100m Relay next weekend, and the presence of the Americans does absolutely nothing to change that…

MoC PREDICTIONS for the men’s sprints:

Men’s 100 metres – Jelks could scrape into the 100m final in Glasgow, but a semi-final outing is most likely. Egwero & Edwards should reach the Semis too, but one of them may fall in the first round!

Men’s 200 metres – Edwards will not make it out of the first round, especially if he has contested the 100 metres already. Oduduru could possibly make the Semis, but will also fall in the 1st round IF he doesn’t arrive in Glasgow well ahead of Wednesday to get some much needed rest.

Men’s 4×100 metres – With or without the Americans in the squad, Team Nigeria should reach the final, but without some unexpected baton drops or lane infringements from 2 or 3 countries ahead of us, don’t expect a medal. Stranger things have happened we suppose, so one can still hope!

MoC VERDICT: The American recruits have NOT sufficiently improved Nigeria’s mens sprint pool to really justify their inclusion. We will stand corrected if they are able to prove our predictions wrong in the coming days!

 

 

 

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Chika Amalaha wins Nigeria’s 1st GOLD at 2014 Commonwealth Games in Weightlifting!

26 Jul
Chika Amalaha of Nigeria competes in the Women's 53kg Group A Weightlifting at the Scottish Exhibition And Conference Centre at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games on July 25, 2014 (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Chika Amalaha of Nigeria competes in the Women’s 53kg Category Weightlifting at the Scottish Exhibition And Conference Centre at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games on July 25, 2014 (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Chika Amalaha on Friday won gold for Nigeria in the women’s 53kg weightlifting category at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. African champion Amalaha snatched a best of 85kg to set a new Games record before managing 111kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 196kg to win Nigeria’s second medal after Nkechi Opara won bronze in the 48kg on Thursday. Papua New Guinea’s Dika Toua took silver at the Clyde Auditorium with 193kg (82+111), with India’s Santoshi Matsa claiming bronze with 188kg (83+105).

(L-R) Silver medalist Dika Toua of Papa New Guinea, Gold medalist Chika Amalaha of Nigeria and Bronze medalist Santoshi Matsu of India after the Women's 53kg Group A Weightlifting (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

(L-R) Silver medalist Dika Toua of Papa New Guinea, Gold medalist Chika Amalaha of Nigeria and Bronze medalist Santoshi Matsu of India after the Women’s 53kg Category Weightlifting
(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Amalaha was delighted with her win, and spoke to the press afterwards on her elation at claiming the GOLD: “I’m absolutely delighted,” said Amalaha. “I wasn’t coming here to go for gold; I just wanted to break my own record. I’m so happy that I’m going home with gold in my first Commonwealth Games. I started at the age of 12, but my family were strongly against me doing the sport at first. They kept me telling to stop doing it, but I persuaded them by getting a female coach. From then on, it was hard work, training, a lot of pain and dedication that got me here today. And now my family were in the audience and they are so excited and so proud.”

(L-R) Silver medalist Dika Toua of Papa New Guinea, Gold medalist Chika Amalaha of Nigeria and Bronze medalist Santoshi Matsu of India after the Women's 53kg Group A Weightlifting (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

(L-R) Silver medalist Dika Toua of Papa New Guinea, Gold medalist Chika Amalaha of Nigeria and Bronze medalist Santoshi Matsu of India after the Women’s 53kg Group A Weightlifting
(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

 

 

Oduduru wins 200m World Junior Silver with wind-assisted 20.25s, equalling 5th fastest Nigerians all-time!

26 Jul

Divine Oduduru became the first Nigerian to run as fast as 20.25s in the 200 metres for TWELVE YEARS, as he raced to a silver medal behind USA’s Tentravis Friday (20.04s) at the ongoing World Junior Athletics Championships in Eugene, USA for U-20 athletes. Oduduru’s official Personal Best remains as 20.66s, which he ran in the semi-final the day before, because his 20.25s was run with a tailwind of 2.3m/s, which makes it ineligible for record purposes as it is over the legal limit of 2.0m/s. Nevertheless, it is an incredible performance whose won the Nigerian Trials in 20.87s, and has a lifetime best of 10.30s in the 100 metres. His progression over the last year has been nothing short of meteoric, given that a year ago he was running 21.13s set at the World Youth Championships in Ukraine!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1InrJrJtyY

The significance of Divine’s run cannot be overstated – he beat much more heavily favoured athletes such as Jamaica’s Michael O’Hara (who beat him in the heats and semi-finals) into 3rd place and Anguilla’s Zharnel Hughes (who trains with Usain Bolt’s coach) into 5th place, and in so doing matched the FIFTH fastest men on Nigeria’s all-time list in the 200 metres! That will not be an official statistic given that it was wind-assisted, but his potential to run such a time NOW should fill Nigerians with excitement that perhaps we have an athlete here whom, with the right guidance and training, could become a serious Olympic medal contender in 2 year’s time! This result is certainly a breath of fresh air in what has so far been a bitterly disappointing championships for Nigeria. Even at the last edition in Barcelona 2 years ago, Team Naija came home with no medals, so this is a result definitely worth celebrating!
There had been some talk about why Divine was not also entered into the 100 metres at these championships, and his coaching crew must be commended for picking their battles wisely – the 100m Champion from these games, USA’s Kendal Williams failed to make it to the 200m final, likely due to exhaustion, a serious factor to consider at the U-20 level. The big question now is, does Nigeria have any plans to ship him straight over to Glasgow to compete in the Commonwealth Games in the coming week? He was listed on the Commonwealth Games team following the Nigerian trials, but it remains to be seen if his participation in the 200m in Glasgow has been properly planned for. Commowealth 200m starts this Wednesday (July 30th) – watch this space!
Photo finish of Divine Oduduru's 2nd place finish in the 200m at the 2014 World Juniors, in a wind-assisted time of 20.25 seconds!

Photo finish of Divine Oduduru’s 2nd place finish in the 200m at the 2014 World Juniors,
in a wind-assisted time of 20.25 seconds!

 
Nigeria’s 200 metres TOP FIVE (All-time)
 
1. Francis Obikwelu – 19.84s (1999), 20.01 (2000), 20.05 & 20.06 (1999)
2. Daniel Effiong – 20.10 (1994)
3. Olapade Adeniken – 20.11 (1992)
4. Oluyemi Kayode (RIP) – 20.22 (1992)
5. Davidson Ezinwa – 20.25 (1992)
5. Deji Aliu – 20.25 (2002)

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Brume goes for GOLD as IAAF World Junior (U-20) Championships commences!

22 Jul

Team Nigeria’s Kehinde Olubodun, Ese Brume, Samson Nathaniel, Adekunle Rilwan and Jennifer Edobi will begin the nation’s quest for medals on Day 1 of the 15th edition of the IAAF World Junior Championship, for athletes under the age of 20, which takes centre stage at the Hayward Field stadium in Eugene, Oregon, in the US from the July 22nd to 27th 2014. 

Most of the country’s representatives to the six-day championship also featured in last year’s World Youth (U-18) Championships held in Donetsk, Ukraine where Nigeria failed to get to the podium, though athletes like Divine Oduduru and Edidiong Odiong reached boys’ 200m and girls’ 400m finals respectively.

Nigeria has won a total of 10 gold, 12 silver and 7 bronze medals since inception of the championship, which commenced in 1986 in Athens, with the likes of five- time Olympian, Mary Onyali-Omagbemi and a host of others ensuring that they got to the podium.The reverse now seems to be the case, as such heroic displays have long since eluded Nigeria at the junior level – the contingent to the last edition in Barcelona, Spain returned home without a single medal two years ago.

However there seems to be a glimmer of hope with the participation of Ese Brume in the Women’s long jump, if all goes according to plan. Based on current form, Brume, who won the national title in Calabar last month, is the favourite to win the event as she comes to the competition with a Season’s and Personal Best of 6.68m, while her closest opponent, Maryna Bekh of Ukraine has an SB of 6.36m and PB of 6.78m. Brume will compete in the qualification round this afternoon where she is expected to have a smooth sail to the final which comes up on Wednesday afternoon.

Nigeria stands a slim chance of a podium appearance in the men’s and women’s 4x100m relays. The men’s team is ranked fifth in the world behind Jamaica, Japan, Thailand and Great Britain while their female counterparts are ranked sixth. Team Nigeria will likely fare better in the ‘mile relay’ (4x400m), where the  men’s quartet occupies second in the world ranking, just behind Trinidad and Tobago while the women’s 4x400m team are second behind Jamaica.

Nigeria’s sole participant in the men’s 100m will be Kehinde Olubodun, who has a PB of 10.49secs and will have his work cut out for him to even make the semis, in an event that has seen Team USA’s Trayvon Bromell run World Junior Record of 9.97 earlier this year. Japan’s Yoshihide Kiryu (PB 10.01s) and the Jamaican duo of Jevaughn Minzie and Michael O’Hara (10.16s & 10.19s respectively will be the medal favourites, as will Anguilla’s Zharnel Hughes (10.12s) who is attempting the 100/200m double – he is the fastest schoolboy in Jamaica and trains with Usain Bolt’s coach!

The duo of Adekunle Rilwan (46.21s) and Samson Nathaniel (46.42s) are set to compete in the preliminaries of the men’s 400m. Jennifer Adaeze Edobi will also feature in the women’s 800m while Bashiru Abdullahi will compete in the 110 Hurdles.

Follow the action from Day 1 of the World Juniors LIVE on SS2 TODAY from 5.50pm – 10.00pm (Session 1) and from 1.05 – 5.30am (Session 2)!

Team Nigeria (subject to change, according to the daily start-lists on the World Junior Champs website)

Men

1.Kehinde Olubodun (100m, 4x100m)

2.Divine Oduduru (200m, 4x100m)

3.Tega Odele (200m, 4x100m)

4.Rilwan Fasasi (400m, 4x400m)

5.Nathaniel Samson (400m, 4x400m)

6.Bashiru Abdullahi (110 Hurdles, 4x100m)

7.Fabian Edoki (Triple Jump)

8.Ini-Oluwa Oye (4x100m)

9.Omeiza Akerele (4x100m, 4x400m)

10.Obokinare Ikpefan (4x100m)

11.Sikiru Adeyemi (4x400m)

Women

1.Abolaji Omotayo (100m, 4x100m)

2.Deborah Odeyemi (100m, 200m, 4x100m)

3.Praise Idamadudu (200m, 400m, 4x400m)

4.Edidiong Odiong (400m, 4x400m)

5.Yinka Ajayi (400m, 4x400m)

6.Jennifer Edobi (800m, 4x400m)

7.Oluwatobiloba Amusan (100m Hurdles)

8.Ese Brume (Long Jump, 4x100m)

9.Nwanneka Okuelogu (Shot put, Discus)

10.Haisha Bisiolu (4x100m, 4x400m)

 

Team Nigeria in medals chase as Commonwealth Games in Glasgow take off!!!

22 Jul

Four years ago, the duo of Tosin Oke in the triple jump and Ajoke Odumosu in the 400m hurdles stood out as the country’s shining beacons in track and field as they struck gold in their respective events to ensure that the Nigerian anthem was played at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. As the world turns its attention to the 2014 edition which kicks off on Wednesday, the burning question on the minds of many is how Nigeria will fare this time around. Leading Team Nigeria’s conquest for medals is none other than sprinter/jumper, Blessing Okagbare, who is making her debut at the quadrennial championship, and who, almost solely, bears the burden of salvaging the country’s pride at the event holding from July 23rd to August 3rd.

Okagbare, the African record holder over 100m, is expected to take part in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay and probably the long jump (though the gruelling schedule may not allow her to make an attempt for 4 medals in the space of one week). The 25 year old has particularly been active in the Diamond League this season where she featured majorly in the sprints, while only competing in the long jump in Shanghai, where she set a Meeting Record (MR) with a leap of 6.86m. Blessing faces the daunting task of securing her first Commonwealth Games title in the 100m in a field that has an intimidating line-up comprising of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the in-form Veronica Campbell-Brown, and Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle-Lee Ahye, who comes to the competition with the fastest time of 10.85s. 

Okagbare went against the Jamaican duo only last week at the Diamond League in Monaco, where Campbell-Brown placed second (10.96s) behind USA’s Tori Bowie, who blew the rest of the field away with a World Lead (WL) of 10.80s. Even though Blessing raced to a Season’s Best (SB) of 10.97s, she finished in 4th, just behind Cote d’Ivoire’s Murielle Ahouré who was given the same time. 200m Olympic Champion, Allyson Felix, and World sprint double champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce placed 5th & 6th respectively, both with SBs of 11.01s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Fvi0LSXaC0

The Delta State athlete however seems to stand a better chance of winning GOLD in the 200m, which has been her focus for the better part of this season. Okagbare currently tops the 200m standings in the Diamond League and looks the favourite to clinch the Commonwealth title ahead of Fraser-Pryce, who is still yet to hit optimum fitness this year. And though it is not certain if the Beijing 2008 bronze medallist will compete in the long jump, the event seems like a sure medal prospect for Nigeria if she participates, considering that the Americans, led by Triple World Champion Brittney Reese and World Lead this season, Tianna Bartoletta, are not part of the Commonwealth Games. 

Defending champion in the men’s triple jump, Tosin Oke may need to jump beyond 17 metres to retain the title he won in Delhi. He finished fourth at his last outing at the Glasgow Diamond League two weeks ago with a leap of 16.51m, though behind 3 Americans, who again will play no part at the Games, so that may bode well for his chances of defending his title. Oke’s PB of 17.23m was set at the national trials in Calabar in 2012 in the run-up to the London Olympics. 

Nigeria will also have an outside chance of a medal in the women’s 400m, though it is certain that defending champion, Amantle Montsho of Botswana will not give up her title without a fight – the African champion has an SB of 50.37s. The likes of Novlene Williams-Mills (50.05s) and Stephanie Ann MacPherson (50.40s) of Jamaica have all posted fastest times than Team Nigeria’s Regina George in the Diamond League. George comes to the games with an SB of 51.39s and placed sixth in Glasgow (51.82s) a fortnight ago. She would also have to contend with compatriots, Folashade Abugan, Omolara Omotosho and Patience Okon George who all denied her a medal at the national trials, as she relinquished her Nigerian crown from 2012 and 2013 with a fourth place finish.

The quartet of George, Abugan, Omotosho and Okon George should win at least Silver in the 4x400m at these games, if they can replicate the kind of form that saw them win a brilliant bronze medal at the inaugural IAAF World Relays in the Bahamas in May, in the 3rd fastest time ever run by a Nigerian female quartet in the 4x400m! Team GB could also pose a threat, if Christine Ohuruogu can find the kind of form that has so far eluded her this season, but don’t bet against Team Nigeria running Jamaica very close for the GOLD! 

An interesting twist to this year’s Commonwealth Games outing is the inclusion of at least five American athletes who recently secured the Nigerian passport and were selected to compete at the games. They include Dominique Duncan (100m), Mark Jelks (100m), Monzavous Edwards (100m), Nichole Denby (100m Hurdles) and Tyrone Akins (110 Hurdles). 

Jelks and Edwards placed first and second in the 100m at the national trials in Calabar last month in 10.23s and 10.39s respectively, and face a Herculean task as far as reaching the podium in Scotland is concerned. Trinidad and Tobago’s Richard Thompson ran 9.82s (a WL at the time) in June while Jamaica’s Nickel Ashmeade (9.97s) and Nesta Carter (9.98s) have also run under 10 seconds, a feat which is still yet to be achieved by a Nigerian sprinter since 2006! Will Nigeria’s American recruits break the nation’s 8-year duck when it comes to sub-10 second sprinting? They would almost certainly have to, to have any realistic hope of coming away with a medal at the Glasgow games!  

Watch out for Making of Champion’s in-depth analyses of Nigeria’s chances in the coming days, and updates of all of Team Nigeria’s performances in Athletics next week, LIVE and DIRECT from the Glasgow Commonwealth Games!

Nigeria’s Commonwealth Games Team

 

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