Paris 2024: Team Nigeria banks on Ofili, Oborududu for first medals

As the Paris Olympic Games enter Day 11, Team Nigeria is eager to secure its first medals.

The country’s hopes rest on Favour Ofili, competing in the women’s 200m final, and Blessing Oborududu, vying for bronze in the 68kg women’s wrestling event.

Ofili made history on Monday by becoming the first Nigerian woman in 28 years to reach the 200m final, matching Mary Onyali’s feat at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

She achieved a personal season’s best of 22.05s, finishing second in her semifinal heat behind Julien Alfred, the reigning Olympic 100m champion.

Oborududu, a Tokyo Olympics silver medalist, will face Pak Sol Gum of North Korea in the bronze medal bout, seeking redemption after losing her semifinal encounter to Meerim Zhumanazarova of Kyrgyzstan.

While Oborududu was beaten 3-1, Sol Gum lost 10-0 to USA’s Amit Elor in her semi-final bout.

Ese Brume (PHOTO CREDIT: Making of Champions)

Other action

Other Nigerian athletes will also be in action on Tuesday. Ese Brume, the Nigerian, African, and Commonwealth long jump queen, begins her bid for Olympic history, aiming to become the first Nigerian track and field athlete to win two individual medals.

Brume has been drawn in the first of two qualifying groups and needs to hit a target of 6.75m to qualify automatically for her third straight final in the long jump.

Nigerian legends like Mary Onyali, Falilat Ogunkoya, and Enefiok Udo-Obong have two Olympic medals, but at least one is a relay medal.

Debutants Ruth Usoro and Prestina Oluchi Ochonogor will also compete in the women’s long jump event billed for the Stade de France.

Ella Onojuvwevwo and Udodi Onwuzurike will also seek to progress in their events via the repechage route, capitalising on their second chances.

Udodi Onwuzurike ran 20.55s to place fifth in his opening round heat and missed one of the three automatic tickets.

With Ofili and Oborududu leading the charge, Nigeria will hopefully make the long-awaited entry to the medals table on Tuesday.

Full schedule for Team Nigeria on Day 11

CANOE SPRINT (Stade d’eau vive Vaires-sur-Marne)

10:00 – Women’s Canoe Double 500m Heats – Ayomide Powei Bello, Beauty Akinaere Otuedo

ATHLETICS (Stade de France)

9:05 – Men’s Javelin Throw qualification – Chinecherem Prosper Nnamdi

10:15 – Women’s Long Jump qualification – Ruth Usoro, Ese Brume, Prestina Ochonogor

10:20 – Women’s 400m repechage round – Ella Onojuvwevwo

11:30 – Men’s 200m repechage round – Udodi Onwuzurike

18:35 – Men’s 400m semifinal – Samuel Ogazi

20:40 – Women’s 200m final – Favour Ofili

WRESTLING (Champ-de-Mars Arena)

17:15 – Wrestling – Blessing Oborodudu (Bronze medal match)