Itsekiri hits 9.9s in Canada
Team Nigeria’s athletes have once again proved their strength on the tracks with the country’s stars scooping four gold medals at the 2024 Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) Region Two Championship held at the Sports Complex of the University of Ghana.
Earlier this year, Nigerian athletes hauled about 12 gold medals inside the complex during the African Games. This time around, the athletes started the CAA Zone Two Championships on a good note, winning four gold medals in one day.
In the women’s 100m, Justina Tiana Eyakpobeyan, battled a headwind of -3.4 to finish at 11.52 seconds ahead of another teammate, Olayinka Olajide, who returned a time of 11.58 seconds. Hor Halutie of Ghana clocked 11.62secs to pick the bronze.
The men’s race was plagued by a false start, but Ghana’s Gadayi Edwin pushed Adekalu Fakorede to the second position, a result being contested by Nigerian officials, who claim that the Ghanaian committed and infraction during the race.
Nigeria dominated the men and women’s 400m races, with Elo Esther Joseph, who posted 51.79 seconds, winning the ladies’ event.
She was chased down by compatriot Patience Okon George, who finished 52.10 seconds with Burkina Faso’s Sita Sibiri coming third with 53.14 seconds. The men’s crown went to Nigeria’s Emmanuel Ojeli.
Faith Osamuyi, who failed to make the podium in the women’s 100m hurdles at the African Games, rose to the occasion and posted 13.66 seconds finish to win her first international gold.
Meanwhile, Canada-based Nigeria sprinter, Usheoritse Itsekiri, ran under 10s for the first time in his career, clocking 9.97 seconds to win the men’s 100m event at the Royal City Inferno Festival on Tuesday night.
The time will not count as a personal best for Itsekiri due to a +2.1 m/s wind reading, which exceeds the legal limit of +2.0 m/s for record purposes.
He has a personal best of 10.02s, which he achieved at the Alumni Stadium in London last year. He equaled that time at the Nigerian Championships at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin in July of last year.
Itsekiri won the race on Tuesday ahead of Eliezer Adjibi of Canada, who finished second in 9.98 seconds. Duan Asemota of Canada was third with 10.06 seconds.
