- Epic showdown: 100m and 400m men’s sprint
- Auburn youngsters struggle, but Samuel Ogazi progresses to the semifinal
- Electrifying 100m men’s sprint final lineup unveiled
It was just another Olympic sprint that featured Nigeria’s young duo, Favour Ashe and Kanyinsola Ajayi who made the news after their spectacular previous appearance before the semifinal this evening which turned out to be their last outing at the Paris Olympic 2024. Ashe and Ajayi struggled to impress fans who had expected at least one of the duo to go through to the finals in the 100-metre event.
100m and 400m sprint preview for Nigeria athletes
Ajayi and Ashe represented Nigeria in the 100-metre sprint at the Olympics this evening. While Ajayi competed in Heat 2, Ashe competed in Heat 1 for spots in the final event. In Heat 1, Jamaica’s Oblique came first, Noah Lyles was second with 9.83s, Great Britain’s Hinchliffe finished in third place with 9.97s and will advance to the final, while Nigeria’s Favour Ashe finished sixth with 10.08s. In Heat 2, Simbine of South Africa, Tebego of Botswana and Jacobs of Italy finished their race within 9.87s, 9.91s, and 9.92s respectively clinching the first, second and third positions in the aforementioned order.
However, Kanyinsola Ajayi was unable to replicate his earlier performance in the previous round. He ended Heat 2 in sixth place in a time of 10.13s.
Ashe and Ajayi fail to make the final, while Ogazi progresses to the semifinal
While Ashe and Ajayi brought disappointment to the faces of many Nigerians, Samuel Ogazi represented Nigeria brilliantly in the 400-metre sprint. The 18-year-old, 400-metre sprinter became the first Nigerian, male athlete in the semifinals of an Olympic event since 2008. Running from lane 5 in the round 1 race, Ogazi picked up from fourth place after about 250m to charge into second place.
He ran in at 44.50 seconds for a new personal record and clinched the second position just behind America’s Quincy Hall who finished within 44.28s.
Nigerians are now hoping Ogazi doesn’t dash their hopes of a spot in the final when he competes in the semifinal.
Lineup for 100m final sprint
The Stade de France in Paris will host the final event of the 100-metre men's category where the world's fastest man will be crowned. This is evidently one of the closest 100m races in recent years.
The lineup for the men’s 100m final are:
Noah Lyles (USA) – 9.79 (.784)s
Kishane Thompson (Jamaica) – 9.79 (.789)s
Fred Kerley (USA) – 9.81s
Akani Simbane (South Africa) – 9.82s
Lamont Marcell Jacobs (Italy) – 9.85s
Letsile Tebogo (Botswana) – 9.86s
Kenneth Bednarek (USA) – 9.88s
Oblique Seville (Jamaica) – 9.91s
Paris Olympics 2024: Favour Ofili overcomes frustration to advance to women's 200m semifinals
Previously, TheRadar reported that Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili had successfully secured her spot in the semifinals of the Women's 200m at the Paris 2024 Olympics, delivering a remarkable performance in the heats.
Competing in Heat 6, Ofili clocked an impressive time of 22.24 seconds, securing a first-place finish and automatic qualification for the next round. Her time was the second-fastest overall among all heats, indicating her strong position in the field.
