Team Nigeria athletes will continue their participation at the ongoing IAAF Athletics Championships today, when activities resume later this evening by 7pm at the London Olympic Stadium.
African Triple Jump Champion, Tosin Oke will be the first to take to the field when he tries to make the final by competing in qualifying Group B. The former National Champion has a Season’s Best (SB) of 16.70m in the event, and will be aiming for the automatic qualifying mark of 17.00m or finish in the top 12 overall in order to make the final.
Thereafter, Glory Nathaniel will compete in the women’s 400m Hurdles heat 5, against more experienced athletes such as Jamaica’s Rhonda Whyte, Switzerland’s Lea Sprunger amongst others.
Nathaniel has a Personal Best (PB) of 55.90s, which she set on her way to winning the Silver medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku, earlier this year. She’ll have to run faster than this time if she’s to make it through to the semifinal.
While Nathaniel will be aiming to qualify for her first World Championships semifinal, three other quatermilers will be on the track later on in the 400m semifinals, to try achieve the dream of a final berth.
National Champion in the event, Patience Okon-George will be the first to try and inspire others when she competes in Heat 1. She’ll be competing in a stacked field that includes Olympic Champion, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, USA’s Quanera Hayes and Jamaica’s Stephanie Ann-Mcpherson.
Yinka Ajayi will be next competing in her Heat, locking horns with defending Champion Allyson Felix, Jamaica’s duo of Shericka Jackson and Novlene Williams-Mills, with Bahraini youngster Salwa Ed Naser also expected to be a stiff competitor.
Margaret Bamgbose will then compete in the last semifinal, and hope the performances of her compatriots will inspire her to a good performance. Her heat includes a respectable field that has USA’s Phyllis Francis, Jamaica’s Chisann Gordon and also Amantle Montsho.
All athletes will have to be in their best performance this season, in order to qualify for the next round in their various events; all the best to them as they don the colors of the country proudly.
