Team Nigerian in excellent Form ahead of African Games
By Maxwell Kumoye
As the date for the 13th African Games scheduled to be held in three Ghanaian cities draws closer, a good number of members of Team Nigeria Athletics are shaping up nicely and returning excellent timing and for some, their personal best.
Nigeria triple jump record holder, Ruth Usoro and sprinter, Success Umukoro proved some spark with their stellar performances.
Ruth Usoro claimed the triple jump title with a leap of 13.89m, and Umukoro ran a new 23.49 lifetime best to place sixth in the 200m event.
Usoro’s 13.89m mark is the second longest in the world, so far this indoor season, bettered only by Neja Filipic’s 13.90m mark achieved on January 14 at the Olimpijski Center, Novo Mesto in Slovenia.
Ella Onojuvwevwo also ran a new 23.91 lifetime best in the half lap and led her school, Louisiana State University to win the 4x400m event.
Uko Nse, former World U20 400m champion, took the baton last for Baylor University to place 7th (3:41.35).
Meanwhile, Godson Brume commenced his season on a weak note with a 21.40 secs feat to place 4th position in the second heat of the 200m event and 11th overall Saturday in Texas Tech’s Corky Classic.
The Delta State-born 20-year-old was expected to continue with the excitement created by compatriot Temitope Adeshina’s record-setting 1.96m clearance on the opening day of the event but finished woefully short of expectations.
This impressive form recorded by Nigerian athletes in the USA and other parts of the world has not gone unnoticed by the governing body of athletics in Nigeria (AFN).
