Paris Olympics: Team Nigeria Hopeful As Track And Field Begins

As the Paris 2024 Olympic Games enters day seven today, Team Nigeria made up of 36 athletes will be aiming to haul medals in track and field events which will begin today in Paris, France.

The athletics events will begin with the Men’s and Women’s 20km Race Walk today, August 1, with a full schedule of events commencing on Friday, August 2, including the decathlon 100m, hammer throw qualification, women’s high jump qualification, and women’s 100m preliminary rounds, among other events.

Despite the brouhaha over the omission of Favour Ofili’s name from the list of competitors for the women’s 100m event, without a doubt, athletics remains Team Nigeria’s area of strength as the country boasts of world performers who are aiming for podium finish at the Paris Games.

Leading the Team Nigeria medal charge is the women’s 100 hurdle world record holder, Tobiloba Amusan. Her exceptional form makes her a strong contender for gold and a potential successor to Chioma Ajunwa as Nigeria’s Olympic gold medalist.

Long jumper Ese Brume is another athlete to watch as the Commonwealth champion and African record holder aims to emulate the feat of Chioma Ajunwa by securing gold in her event. She currently holds the commonwealth games record, African junior record and African record in the event. Brume won the bronze medal in the Long Jump event at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, with a jump of 6.91 m and at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, with a jump of 6.97m, and she will be aiming to make it gold in Paris.

Shot putter Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, the African champion, is a strong medal prospect for Nigeria, while the young and talented Favour Ashe has shown immense promise with a recent personal best of 9.94s in the 100m.

Also, Favour Ofili, notwithstanding her exclusion from the 100 race, she remains medal in the 200 race. She became the second-fastest indoor 200m runner in collegiate history (after Steiner) in February 2023, setting even better African indoor record of 22.36 s at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Joining them are other immensely talented athletes including Tima Godbless, Rosemary Chukwuma, Ella Onojuvwevwo, Esther Joseph and Godson Oghenebrume, forming a formidable lineup that promises to dazzle spectators and rivals alike for podium in Paris.