Olympics: Nigeria begin hunt for medals in athletics

Team Nigeria will be involved in six events on Friday (today) as the athletics event of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games hits the running, The PUNCH reports.

Nigeria’s hope of clinching medals at the Games has been heavily linked to the track and field events, and all eyes will be on high jumper Temitope Adeshina, women’s discus trio Ashely Anumba, Chioma Onyekwere, and Obiageri Amaechi, shot put thrower Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, as well as the mixed 4x400m relay team, who will be competing in the first round of their respective events at the Stade de France.

Indoor and outdoor national record holder and three-time national champion, Adeshina, who is making her debut appearance at the Games, will be out by 9:15 am for a chance to make the final of the women’s high jump.

With her personal best of 1.97 m, which is also the final qualification standard, the 25-year-old is in Group B of the qualification event, which has 31 other jumpers.

She will be guaranteed a place in the final if she produces the same mark that earned a place in Paris or if she ranks among the 12 best performers in the qualifiers.

There will be more action in the evening session, starting with one-time African champion Anumba as well as the Commonwealth Games, and two-time African champion Onyekwere and reigning African Games champion Amaechi will also compete in the women’s discus throw.

Ahead of her Olympics debut, the 25-year-old Amaechi described her participation as a dream come true, just as Nigeria will feature three athletes in the event for the first time.

“Being here alone is a dream come true, and being able to be part of this historic three is even sweeter than just coming here alone because we have all been working hard,” Amaechi said via Making of Champions.

“All I can ask for is to do my best; you don’t know what God has in stock, so I’m willing to accept his plans for me. I want to do my best; hopefully, that means that I make it into the finals. I’m just here to execute what I have been working on in practice, and I hope that reflects in the numbers later on.”

In between the women’s discus, a two-time winner at the African Championships and the African Games, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi will also compete for a spot in the men’s shot put final.

On the track, the mixed 4x400m relay quartet will also run in Heat 2 their event, going up against strong countries like Great Britain, the Netherlands, Ireland, the Dominican Republic, and Italy.

It’s the second time Nigeria will be competing in the event after making its 4x400m mixed relay debut in Tokyo 2020. Only the top three countries from the heat will book automatic qualifications into the final on Saturday.