The twentieth version of World Athletics Championships will formally start this Saturday in Tokyo, Japan, with 15 Nigerian athletes in search of podium end.
That is the third time the occasion is holding in Japan, and in two earlier editions held in 1991 in Tokyo and in 2007 in Osaka, Nigeria did not win a single medal.
The eleventh version in 2007, which occurred at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, had the best variety of opponents at any World Championships thus far, with a complete of 1,978 athletes. Nigerian athletes did not make any podium look, and in 1991, Nigeria’s greatest achievement was Davidson Ezinwa attending to the quarterfinal in 100m.
Earlier than then, Nigeria’s solely medal was a bronze within the triple bounce by Ajayi Agbebaku on the inaugural World Athletics Championships in Helsinki in 1983.
Nigeria’s greatest second got here at Oregon in 2022, the place Tobiloba Amusan received a gold and likewise set a World Document (12.12m within the 100m hurdles), whereas Ese Brume grabbed a silver within the lengthy bounce. However two years in the past in Budapest, Hungary, Group Nigeria returned with out a medal.
The stage is ready as soon as once more, and Commonwealth Video games bronze medalist within the discus throw occasion, Obiageri Pamela Amaechi, will open Nigeria’s marketing campaign for a return to the rostrum on the twentieth version this Saturday, simply as Onyekwere-Lyons, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, Presitna Ochonogor, Ese Brume and Rosemary Chukwuma are additionally anticipated to be in motion on Day 1.
Amaechi has been given the duty to set the workforce on the best path by qualifying for the ultimate of the discus occasion, which might be a primary by a Nigerian this Saturday. The reigning African Video games champion has been drawn within the first of two qualifying teams and can compete forward of reigning Commonwealth Video games champion, Chioma Onyekwere-Lyons.
If Amaechi is ready to fulfil expectations, it would definitely take the stress off Onyekwere-Lyons, when she competes later this Saturday. She is the African document holder within the occasion (64.96m). Onyekwere-Lyons is not any stranger to throwing the discus above 64.00m. This yr, she holds a 64.12m private season’s greatest, the second season she has hit the 60m mark.
Each Amaechi and Onyekwere-Lyons might make double historical past like they did on the Commonwealth Video games after they each made it to the rostrum.
They don’t seem to be the one Nigerians in motion on the primary day of competitors.
One other area eventer, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, will even be in motion as he bids to make up for the frustration of not making it to the Diamond League closing.
Two years in the past, in Budapest, Enekwechi did not throw himself into his third straight closing within the historical past of the Championships. This time round, he can be eager to throw himself again into the ultimate and into the ultimate eight, like he did on his debut in 2019.
Ese Brume and Prestina Ochonogor will full the roster for the sphere occasions on the primary day of motion.
Ochonogor, the reigning African U20 champion and Paris Olympic finalist, will start the battle to change into the third lengthy jumper to make it to the rostrum after Blessing Okagbare and Brume.
For her to try this, Ochonogor has to leap her approach into the ultimate, and a repeat of her 6.79m private greatest can do the magic. She has been drawn in a bunch the place two jumpers have hit above the 7m mark, three above 6.90m, and some others above 6.80m and 6.70m.
Comfortable-speaking Ese Brume will compete within the second qualifying group and may discover herself in her fourth straight closing if she will repeat her 6.79m private season’s greatest. Brume completed fourth two years in the past in Budapest.
There will even be three Nigerians on the observe on the opening day of competitors (Saturday). Rosemary Chukwuma will strive her luck within the 100m heats, the place she has been drawn in lane 7 within the second of seven opening-round heats, with 4 athletes standing in her method to a second straight semifinal look within the 100m.
The Nigerian must battle Ewa Swoboda of Poland, one of many Jamaican dash sensations, Tina Clayton (10.81 SB), veteran Briton Dina Asher-Smith (10.93 SB), and Portugal’s Lorène Dorcas Bazolo.
Pre-Championships medal hopes, Tobi Amusan and Ezekiel Nathaniel can be in on Day 2 and Day 3 respectively. Whereas Amusan will compete on Sunday, Nathaniel will run on Day 3 (Monday).
With AFN’s failure to qualify Nigeria in 5 relay occasions (the primary time in historical past of the championships), the nation’s marketing campaign can be over on Day 7 of the 9 days of motion with the lads’s 400m hurdles and 200m finals to be determined.
