Ekevwo will now need to run faster than the 9.96s he ran three years ago that fetched him the African Games gold to stand a chance of making the podium.
By Uzor Odigbo
Games 100m champion Raymond Ekevwo moved closer to ending Nigeria’s 12 year wait for the blue ribband gold after qualifying for Thursday’s final as the 22nd African Athletics Championship got off to a bright start.
Even as Godless runs huge PB to make women’s 100m final.
Ekevwo did not however make the final without breaking loads of sweat as he could only finish third in the third semifinal heat, thereby missing one of the two automatic slots for the final.
The 23 year old’s 10.15s run was however among the three fastest times achieved by those who missed the automatic qualification slots.
Kenya’s reigning African record holder, Ferdinand Omanyala who recovered from an injury last week in the international athletics circuit led the way once again with his 10.07s performance with defending champion, South Africa’s Akani Simbine the second fastest qualifier for Thursday’s final.
Ekevwo will now need to run faster than the 9.96s he ran three years ago that fetched him the African Games gold to stand a chance of making the podium.
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The two other Nigerians did not make it to the final. Nichilas Mabilo failed to get past the first round heat while Seye Ogunlewe exited at the semifinal stage, finishing fourth (10.29) in the first semifinal heat.
Meanwhile, Godless runs huge PB to make women’s 100m final. ‘That girl is super talented and can run 10.88 with proper training,’ said former Athletics Federation of Nigeria technical director, Rotimi Obajimi last year at the Tokyo Olympic Trials in Lagos.
The girl in question was Tima Godbless who is beginning to fulfil expectations after running a huge 11.25s to qualify for the final of the women’s 100m and rekindle hopes of another Nigerian win eight years after Blessing Okagbare won the country’s last gold medal in the event.
Godbless came second in her semifinal heat behind one of pre-championship favourites, Carina Horn of South Africa who won in 11.08s. The Nigerian will need to run another huge personal best to stand a chance of making the podium on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the two other Nigerians in the event,Praise Ofoku and Balkis Yakubu failed to advance to the final despite the latter running a new11.63s personal best. In the women’s 400m, the duo of Idamadudu Praise (54.61) and Patience Okon George (52.19) qualified for the semifinal.
In the men’s, the trio of Samson Nathaniel (47.01), Adeyemi Sikiru (46.73) and junior international, Nnamani Johnson (47.37) all made it to the semifinals. While Adeyemi secured one of the three automatic slots on offer, Nathaniel and Nnamani qualified as two of the fastest ‘losers’.