Tuesday started with high hopes for Team Nigeria at the Paris 2024 Olympics but ended in deep disappointment. The day promised much but eventually delivered little or.. nothing, except another round of fresh hopes.
Blessing Oborodudu in Wrestling and Favour Ofili in Athletics were primed to deliver Team Nigeria’s first medals at the Games but those hopes were dashed in the space of 5 minutes as both coincidentally contested their events simultaneously at about 8.40pm Nigerian time.
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Blessing faced Nonoka Ozaki of Japan in the Repechage Bronze Medal match in Women’s 68kg Freestyle hoping to add to the Silver she won in Tokyo but ultimately lost to the Asian while Favour was beaten to 6th place in the Women’s 200 metres Final won by Gabby Thomas of the USA. It was all too much for the young sprinter who broke down in tears in the Media Mixed zone after the race and was consoled by some Female Nigerian Journalists.
It wasn’t all gloom and doom for Team Nigeria though as Samuel Ogazi produced a Personal Best time of 44.41 seconds to reach the final of the Men’s 400 metres while in Women’s Long Jump, all 3 Nigerian representatives, Ruth Usoro, Ese Brume and Prestina Ochonogor qualified for the 12 roster Final.
Ella Onojuvwevwo and Udodi Onwuzuruike also reached the Semi Finals of the Women’s 400 metres and the Men’s 200metres respectively via the Repechage route. Both will contest their Semi-Final races while Ogazi will spike up for the Men’s 400 metres Final tonight.
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World Record Holder and possibly Team Nigeria’s biggest Medal Hope at the Games, Tobi Amusan, will begin her quest for an elusive Olympic Medal in Round One of the Women’s 100 metres Hurdles. Also in action tonight at the Stade de France, Edosa Ibadin in Round 1 of the Men’s 800 metres and Nathaniel Ezekiel in the Semi-Finals of the Men’s 400 metres Hurdles.
Elsewhere, Christiana Ogunsanya will take to the mat in Wrestling 53kg Freestyle, Ese Ukpeseraye in Women’s Keirin Track in Cycling and also tonight at the Bercy Arena in Paris, D Tigress face a tough task against USA in the Quarter Finals of Women’s Basketball.
Hope springs eternal…..
By Deji Omotoyinbo, in Paris
