Team Nigeria kicked off the Track and Field Event by winning Three Gold Medals on Day 2 of Athletics at the ongoing 2023 All-African Games in Ghana.
In the Shotput Final, Nigeria Shot-putter, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi defended his African Games title as he won Nigeria’s First Gold Medal in Athletics with a winning throw. Ruth Usoro secured another gold medal for Nigeria in the women’s Triple Jump clinching the top spot on her final attempt with a jump of 13.80m to win her first-ever African title.
Day 2 ended for Nigeria as the Relay Team won a Gold Medal in the 4x400m Mixed Relay event with an African Record. Omolara Ogunmakinju delivered a sensational anchor leg for Nigeria in the mixed 4x400m relay, erasing a 15-meter deficit and overtaking Botswana in the final 30 meters. Her incredible performance secured Nigeria the gold medal in a time of 3:13.26. Botswana came second with a new national record of 3:13.99 to settle for silver.
Nigeria won a Bronze in the women’s Hammer Throw as Sade Olatoye initially threw a Games Record of 68.56m, but it wasn’t enough as Algeria Athletes claimed both gold and the Silver Medal. In the Men’s 100 meters, Usheoritse Itsekiri delivered a stellar performance as he came second sprinting to a time of 10.23 seconds with Consider Ekanem coming in a fourth-place finish in the same race.
In the Women 100meters, Olayinka Olajide who made her senior international debut for Nigeria won the bronze medal in the women’s 100m with a time of 11.55s. Nigeria won 10 gold medals in athletics at the 2019 African Games in Morocco, a feat the contingent in Ghana is looking to match or even surpass.
