Paris Olympics: An expected blessing from Oborodudu and favour from Ofili elude Team Nigeria

Tuesday was another sad day for Team Nigeria on the track and at the Wrestling Arena has hope of medals from athletes with strong pedigrees to win was in vain.

Since the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympic Games started Team Nigeria, the giant of the black with a population estimated to be over 200 million has not won a medal whereas St. Lucia a country with a population of about 200,000 has produced the fastest Woman in the World.

Many Nigerians believed that Blessing Oborududu, a silver medalist at the last Olympics in Tokyo, Japan would take the blemish away.

 But Oborodudu lost to 2two times world champion, Nonoka Ozaki from Japan by 0 to 3 points in the bronze medal fight of the women’s 68kg wrestling event.

Ozaki, former Youth Olympic Champion started on a brighter note taking two points off the Oborududu, fifteen times African Champion in the first period.

Upon resumption of the second period, the Japanese took an additional one point off Oborududu and denied her of becoming the first Nigerian wrestler to win a medal at two Olympic Games.

But all hope of a medal for Team Nigeria in Wrestling is lost as African Games and African Youth Champion, Christianah Ogunsanya will begin her campaign on Wednesday in the women’s 53kg wrestling event.

Elsewhere, Favour Ofili who many athletics aficionados tipped to win at least a bronze medal in the women’s 200m finished in the sixth position in a time of 22.24s. Ofili ran a season-best 22.05 seconds in the semifinals.

American Gabby Thomas who won a bronze medal in the event three years ago in Tokyo started fast, broke away early, and won her first gold medal.

Thomas looked relieved and joyous at her win. She spread her arms with the American flag to celebrate.

“I’m really in disbelief because having an Olympic gold medal is something in my wildest dreams. But at the same time I know how hard I’ve fought for it," Thomas said after the race.

"I was not prepared for how I was going to feel when I crossed the line as an Olympic champion. There is nothing like walking into a stadium of 80,000 people and they're screaming and they're right on top of you. It made it a lot more special when I crossed the line."

Alfred of St. Lucia, who won a gold medal in the 100-meter final in Saint-Denis on Saturday, took silver. It was the second-ever medal for her nation. Alfred said she hoped her breakout performances in Paris would inspire more athletics - and more financial support - in her island nation.

"I feel good," Alfred said. "This means a lot. First Olympics, to go back with gold and silver, I can’t ask for more than that.”

Another American Brittany Brown, age 29, won bronze. "It feels amazing to be around these women, to be a part of this class of women," Brown said. "It's something you aspire to be when you grow up."

Also on Tuesday, in the men’s 400m event, Samuel Ogazi became the first Nigerian athlete to qualify for the final since Innocent Egbuike at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Ogazi ran a new Personal Best of 44.41s to finish 3rd in the heat three of the 400m semifinals.

The trio of Ese Brume (6.76m), Ruth Usoro (6.68m), and Prestina Ochonogor (6.65m) have qualified for the final of the women’s Long Jump. This is the first time three Nigerians will be making it to the finals of the long jump event.

National Champion, Chinecherem Nnamdi finished overall 24th place in the men’s Javelin event, throwing 77.53m.