African Championships: Team Nigeria wins three medals on Day 2

Team Nigeria continued its impressive showing at the African Athletics Championships in Douala, Cameroon, adding three medals to its growing collection on Saturday.

Building on the success of Day 1, which saw two gold medals and a silver and bronze, Nigerian athletes secured two silver medals and a bronze on Day 2.

Making his international debut for Nigeria, Goodness Iredia leapt his way to a bronze medal in the men’s long jump final.

He achieved a mark of 7.75m, narrowly edging out compatriot Emmanuel Njoku (4th place, 7.72m).

Lionel Coetzee of Namibia claimed the gold medal with a jump of 7.78m.

Elsewhere, Sade Olatoye continued her legacy as a dominant force in the African hammer throw, securing a silver medal with a throw of 67.72m.

The excitement culminated in a thrilling silver medal finish for the Nigerian mixed 4x400m relay team.

The quartet of Emmanuel Ojeli, Ella Onojuvwevwo, Dubem Nwachukwu, and Patience Okon-George delivered a stirring performance, crossing the finish line in 3:13.72.

South Africa clinched the gold (3:13.12), while Botswana secured the bronze (3:15.93).

Disappointment in sprint events

Unfortunately, Team Nigeria could not secure medals in the highly anticipated 100m finals, though the country’s sprinters displayed impressive performances.

Kanyinsola Ajayi came close in the men’s race, finishing just off the podium in fourth place with a time of 10.20 seconds.

In the women’s 100m, the absence of Rose Chukwuma and Favour Ofili in the semifinals opened the door for Gina Bass Bittaye of Gambia.

Bittaye emerged victorious, defending her title with a time of 11.13 seconds. Olayinka Olajide, the sole Nigerian finalist, finished in seventh place.

Looking Ahead

With a handful of Nigerian athletes reaching the finals of their respective events, the team remains optimistic about adding more medals to the board on Day 3 of the Championships.