AFN in cloud nine as Nigerian athletes set more records in U.S.
[FILES] Favour Ofili (second right) now holds new record
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has described as ‘heartwarming’ the impressive performance of the country’s athletes in various Meets across the United States at the weekend.
Barely a week after scattering Blessing Okagbare’s 200m record with a new 21.96 seconds, Favour Ofili made African sprint history by running a 100m lead of 10.93s to become the second African woman after Namibia’s Christine Mboma to race inside 11 seconds in the event and 22 seconds in the 200m event.
Also at the LSU Invitational at the Bernie Moore Track Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Nigeria’s sprinter, Favour Ashe, posted an incredible 9.79 seconds performance. A tailwind of 3.0m/s prevented the University of Tennessee freshman, Ashe, from becoming the 12th Nigerian and 28th African man to run inside 10 seconds in the 100m.
The 10.93 seconds recorded at the weekend did not only make Ofili the fastest African teenager in history, but she also moved to fifth on the senior African all-time list.
AFN President, Tonobok Okowa, told The Guardian yesterday that he was impressed by the athletes’ performance in U.S.
“I am happy our athletes are proving themselves that Nigeria is still a force to reckon with in the sprint. My prayer is that they are free from any form of injury as we begin the countdown to the African Championship in Mauritius, the World Championship in Oregon, U.S. and the Commonwealth in Birmingham, England.”
At the Corky/Crofoot Shootout meet at the Fuller Track and Field Complex in Lubbock, Texas, another Nigerian sprinter, Rosemary Chukwuma was also in inspiring form.
The 20-year-old legally dipped inside 23 seconds for the first time in her career to win the 200m race at the event and set a new Texas Tech University record.
Her 22.78 second new lifetime best is the 10th-fastest time in the NCAA to be recorded this season, the fifth-fastest time in the Big 12 this season, the sixth-fastest by an African so far this season and the third by a Nigerian after Ofili (21.96s) and Tobi Amusan (22.66s).
