World Athletics rules out Nigeria’s AthIetes podium presence in sprint events
By Uzor Odigbo
World Athletics seems to have ruled Nigeria out of making the podium in the men and women’s 100m, 200m, 400m, and the 4x100m, 4x400m and the mixed 4x400m relay events.
The world governing body for the sport of track and field began its preview of the athletics events of the Paris 2024 Olympics which start at the start of August.
In the men’s 100m, the Nigerian trio of Favour Ashe, Kanyinsola Ajayi and the injured Godson Oghenebrume did not get any mention as the battle for the podium was limited to only a handful of athletes.
The athletes are led by the Jamaican newcomer, Kishane Thompson who has world’s fastest time since 2022 at 9.77, the American, Noah Lyles who is confident four Olympic titles which includes the 100m gold as well as the quartet of Kenny Bednarek (USA), Letsile Tebogo (Botswana) Akani Simbine (South Africa) and Kenyan, Ferdinand Omanyala who is the second fastest man at 9.79 going into the battle.
Ashe is the fastest Nigerian going into the competition with his 9.94 performance but the 22 year old has only managed a 10.10 performance in the last two months.
Lyles and Tebogo also feature prominently in the 200m event.
Lyles tops the world list with the 19.53 he ran at the USA trials and he is seeking for his first Olympic 200m gold after three world title wins. He is joined on the favorite list by his fellow American, Kenny Bednarek who is second on the world’s 2024 top list (19.59) as well as the African trio of Tebogo who is third joint fastest in the world going to the Games and Ugandan, Tarsis Gracious Orogot who ran 19.75 in May to move third in the NCAA all-time list of performances.
There was no mention of Nigeria’s Udodi Onwuzurike, the 2021 World U20 champion who broke 20 seconds in the event three times last year but has only managed a 20.13 return this season.
For the women, World Athletics seems to be confirming Nigeria’s wait for a first woman medalist will be extended by another four years after failing to list the Nigerian duo of Rosemary Chukwuma and Tima Godbless as contenders.
Godbless, with her 11.03 lifetime best achieved this year may seem an unlikely candidate even for a place in the final but ignoring an athlete who has ran 10.88 this year cannot be explained.
World Athletics feels, and rightly so too, that the trio of reigning world champion, Shar’Carri Richardson who tops the world list at 10.71, Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia and the evergreen Jamaican, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pyrce will be the contenders in Paris.
In the 200m, reigning world champion, Shericka Jackson is projected to be among the athletes that will run as fast as making the podium with USA’s Gabby Thomas who is going for her first individual global gold after making statement at the Diamond League meeting in London and Alfred who could complete a sprint double.
Nigeria’s Favour Ofili is not ranked among the contenders as the 21 year old has not broken 20 seconds in the event since she first did in April 2022, over two years ago.
The 21 year old holds a personal season’s best of 22.33 and has only ran thrice in the event.