Like Paris Olympics, Nigeria athletes harvest poor results in Peru

As it were at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where Nigeria failed to win any medal, the situation at the on going World U20 Championships in Lime, Peru, is pointing at similar direction after long jumper, Prestina Ochonogor failed to win a medal on Wednesday night.

Nigerians were expecting Ochonogor, who made it to the final at the Paris Olympics to grab at least a bronze medal at the junior championships in Peru, but she failed at least to repeat her 6.79m lifetime best which she achieved at the U.J Esuene stadium in Calabar, Cross.

The 18-year-old Ochonogor jumped 6.21m in the fifth round in Wednesday’s final but 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).

However, 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 Thursday morning, Nigeria’s hopes of winning her 15th gold medal at 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 looks 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 second 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 Thursday’s final as one of the two non-automatic qualifiers.

The unexpected poor performance by Team Nigeria in Peru is giving many athletics followers back home a serious concern.

“I still don’t understand why most Nigeria’s athletes cannot equal or surpass their pre-tournament performance at 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 improvement, they were running backward.

“It’s not AFN problem. Aside 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 mark at the World Junior Championships as home base athletes, Kilode, Ogini, Menini?

“Selection Patterns must change. Nweke Chioma should be in the shot put event not 100m runner. Ochonogor Oluchi should take her event seriously, Enough of dancing before the podium finish.

“AFN should 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 cross it. I am just Alarmed. Stakeholders meeting is necessary Now.”