As curtain falls on the 22nd Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom today, Team Nigeria recorded her best outing in the quadrennial competition which effectively ended Sunday night.
Nigeria claimed a total of 12 gold, 9 silver and 14 bronze medals to stay in the seventh position.
Sunday started as a spectacular day for Team Nigeria as world record holder in the women’s 100m hurdlers, Oluwatobiloba Amusan, raced into the Games history books as the second sprint hurdler to successfully defend the title she won four years ago in Gold Coast, Australia.
The 12.30secs she clocked in winning the gold is also the Commonwealth Games new 100m hurdles record. It erased the 12.65 Games record set in 2006 by Jamaica’s Brigitte Foster-Hylton.
Before the final, Amusan who fortnight ago in Oregon USA set a new world record of 12.12 to win the gold, the first by a Nigerian, ran a new time of 12.40 to win the semi final but was denied the record by a 2.4 m/s tail wind.
The 25-year-old Amusan has also gone in history as the second sprint hurdler in Games history after Australia’s Sally Pearson (2010 and 2014) to successfully defend the event’s title.
Bahamas’ Devynne Charlton settled for silver with 12.58secs while home girl Cindy Sember picked the consolatory bronze in 12.59secs.
Barely two and half hours after winning the sprint barrier event, Amusan inspired Nigeria women’s 4x100m quartet of herself, Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma and Grace Nwokocha to make history at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, becoming the first women’s relay team to win a Commonwealth Games gold in 28 years.
The quartet did it in record breaking fashion, running 42.10 secs to break the barely a month old 42.22 seconds African record they set in Oregon, USA at the World Athletics Championships.
World and Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles champion and record holder, Amusan started the historic run with a brilliant first leg before handing over to Ofili who ensured Nigeria maintained the advantage before giving Chukwuma, the individual 100m finalist the baton.
Chukwuma ran the curve perfectly and handed over to reigning Nigerian 100m queen, Nwokocha in first position.
The 21-year-old Nwokocha maintained the advantage despite the threat by Great Britain’s anchor leg runner, Darly Neita to bring home Nigeria’s first women’s relay gold in well over two decades.
Four years ago Amusan was part of the relay team that finished third at the Gold Coast in Australia.
Nigeria won her first 4x100m relay Commonwealth Games gold in 1994 in Victoria, Canada when the quartet of Faith Idehen, Mary Tombiri, Christy Opara-Thompson and Mary Onyali ran a then 42.99 seconds Games record to win.
The country’s first actual 4x100m relay medal was won four years earlier in Auckland, New Zealand where the quartet of Beatrice Utondu, Fatima Yusuf, Charity Opara, Chioma Ajunwa won a bronze medal.
Eight years ago in Glasgow, Scotland, Blessing Okagbare, who successfully completed a sprints double inspired the team to a silver medal finish.
As if the Nigerian ladies reserved their best in the track and field till the last day, Ese Brume jumped a 7.00m new Games Record to win the gold medal for the second time. Her first was at the Glasgow Games eight years ago.
Australian jumper Brooke Buschkuehl (6.95m) and Ghanaian girl, Deborah Acquah (6.94m) settled for the silver and bronze medals respectively.
Brume who won a silver medal at the last Worlds kicked off her gold medal rush with 6.99 in her second jump after a faulty first leap. She then had 6.81, 6.99, and 6.96. Her last sixth jump produced the 7.00m mark that gave her the gold.
NIGERIA’S PAST FIVE OUTINGS
*2022 – 7th position (So far)
12 Gold, 9 Silver, 14 Bronze
*2018 – 8th position
9 Gold, 10 Silver, 6 Bronze
*2014 – 8th position
11 Gold, 11 Silver, 14 Bronze
*2010 – 8th position
11 Gold, 8 Silver, 14 Bronze
ALL THE GOLD MEDALISTS
-Tobi Amusan (100m Women’s Hurdle and 4x100m Relay)
-Nigeria women’s 4x100m Relay (Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma, Grace Nwokocha)
-Chioma Onyekwere (Women’s Shot put)
-Goodness Nwachukwu (Women’s Discus throw)
-Ese Brume (Women’s Long Jump)
*Wrestlers(Women’s Freestyle wrestling)
-Miesinnei Mercy Genesis (50 kg); Blessing Oborududu (57 kg) and Odunayo Adekuoroye (57kg)
*Weightlifting(Women)
-Adijat Adenike Olarinoye (55kg) and Rafiatu Folashade Lawal (59kg)
*Wrestlers(Women’s Freestyle wrestling)
-Miesinnei Mercy Genesis (50 kg); Blessing Oborududu (57 kg) and Odunayo Adekuoroye (57kg)
*Weightlifting(Women)
-Adijat Adenike Olarinoye (55kg) and Rafiatu Folashade Lawal (59kg)
Duro Ikhazuagbe
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