Nigeria’s poor run on the world stage continues in Peru

As it was at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where Nigeria failed to win any medal, the situation at the ongoing World U20 Championships in Lima, Peru, points at similar fate after long jumper, Pristina Ochonogor failed to win a medal on Wednesday night.

The 18-year-old Ochonogor jumped 6.21m in the fifth round in Wednesday’s final, but that was not enough as she finished fifth. Australia’s Delta Amidzovski leaped a distance of 6.58m in the fifth round to win the gold with USA’s Sophia Beckmon second with her 6.54m fifth-round effort while Poland’s Julia Adamczyk also relied on her fifth-round jump (6.34m) to win the bronze.

The story was even worse for Team Nigeria in the women’s 100m final, where Justina Eyakpobeyan also failed to fulfill expectations as she came in seventh (11.63).
 
Eyakpobeya told The Guardian shortly after her disappointing race that she was hurt about 10 minutes before the race. 
The women’s 100m final was won by Jamaica’s Alana Reid (11.17) with British Virgin Islands Adaejah Hodge second (11.27) and Kishawna Niles of Barbados third (11.37). 

As of yesterday, Nigeria’s hopes of winning her 15th gold medal at the World Athletics U20 Championships was on the shoulder of Ella Onojuvwevwo, who raced into the final of the women’s 400m.

Onojuvwewvo, who was also at the Paris Olympics, fulfilled expectations by picking one of the two automatic tickets on offer for the final in a semifinal heat that looked like a dress rehearsal for the final with all three pre-Championships favourites in action. 

The fastest in the group pre-Championships at 50.52, Lurdes Gloria Manuel of the Czech Republic won in 51.91 and was followed by Onojuvwewvo, who is also the second fastest coming to the championships, in 51.99, while USA’s Michaela Mouton, the third fastest (50.96) coming to Lima, ran 52.72 to place third and qualify for this morning’s final as one of the two non-automatic qualifiers. 

Onojuvwevwo is expected to fish out something good for Nigeria in the 400m final slated for 12.45 am, when a majority of Nigerians will be asleep.
Before Wednesday’s harvest of poor results, Nigeria’s 4×400 mixed relay team had crashed out, while Israel Okon Sunday pulled out of the 100m semifinal due to injury.

The unexpected poor performance by Team Nigeria in Peru has jolted many athletics followers.
“I still don’t understand why most Nigerian athletes cannot equal or surpass their pre-tournament performance on the world stage, unlike in the past,” veteran athletics writer, Uzor Odigbo queried.

“Something must be wrong. As for those running below par…12s in 100m…54s in 400m in Peru, I wonder how their selections happened. Instead of improving, they were running backward. Their coaches must explain.

“It’s not an AFN problem. Apart from Ella, the rest must be made to improve by force no matter who, or where they train. After all, Seun Ogunkoya, Francis Obikwelu Gloria Alozie, etc..made their marks at the World Junior Championships as home-based athletes.”
 
He urged the AFN to change its selection pattern, saying: “Nweke Chioma should be in the shot put event, not in the 100m. Ochonogor Oluchi should take her event seriously, Enough of dancing before the podium finish.

“The AFN should also be mindful of coaches that plant unserious athletes on the Federation. I can unveil some of them, but when we get to the bridge, we will cross it. I am just alarmed. A stakeholders’ meeting is necessary now to address the issues.”