Team Nigeria has enjoyed moments of joy and disappointment at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, with new stars making headlines while some familiar names fell short.
The biggest highlight so far came from Ajayi Kanyisola, who ran the race of his life in the men’s 100 metres heats.
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Ajayi clocked a personal best of 9.88 seconds, finishing second in Heat 1. South Africa’s Gift Leotlela won the race in 9.87s, while Jamaica’s Oblique Seville came third in 9.93s. Ajayi’s brilliant run gave him an automatic ticket to the next round.
Another big talking point was Sunday Israel Okon, the 21-year-old who shocked the field in Heat 6 of the 100m.
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Okon ran 10.04 seconds to finish first, beating big names like Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes and Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs of Italy.
Okon’s explosive start and calm finish showed that he has what it takes to fight for a spot in the final, and maybe even a medal.
Nigeria’s women had a harder time on the track.
Rosemary Chukwuma, the only Nigerian in the women’s 100m, finished fifth in her heat with a time of 11.27 seconds, missing out on the semifinals.
Jamaica’s Tia Clayton won that race in 11.01s, ahead of Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith and Poland’s Ewa Swoboda.
In the field events, teenager Prestina Oluchi Ochonogor could not make it past the women’s long jump qualification.
The 19-year-old, making her first World Championships appearance, finished near the bottom but is seen as one for the future.
Nigeria’s long jump star Ese Brume also missed out on a place in the final. Still, her return to competition after a serious car accident that left her in a neck brace was celebrated as a story of courage, even though her jumps were not enough to advance.
There was good news in the men’s shot put. Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, Nigeria’s record holder, reached the final after a series of steady throws.
He recorded 20.83m on his first and last attempts, and 20.71m on his second.
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That was enough to place him seventh overall and safely inside the top 12 needed for the final. After missing out narrowly in Budapest two years ago, this was sweet redemption for him.
Nigeria’s discus throwers, Chioma Onyekwere-Lyons and Obiageri Amaechi, could not qualify. Onyekwere threw 59.45m in her first attempt but fouled her last two, ending her campaign. Amaechi managed 55.69m in Group A, but it was not enough to reach the final either.
While the early days have been overshadowed by complaints around substandard kits and some established names failing to hit the required mark, many are still hoping for some light at the end of the tunnel for Team Nigeria in Tokyo.
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