The track and field events of the Paris 2024 Olympics began in full swing Friday, with Nigerian athletes facing an uphill task to be on the podium.
In the women’s 100m Rosemary Chukwuma posted 11.26 in her heats to finish third behind Ewa Swaboda and Dina Asher-Smith. Chukwuma qualified for the semi-final, where she needs to come up with a big run, to have a shot at the final. Nigeria’s other competitor Tima Godbless finished sixth in her heat with 11.33 seconds.
But it looks like a tall dream for Chukwuma to even book a place in the final as Marie Jose Talou-Smith 10.87seconds season best, Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce 10.92 seconds, Daryil Neita 10.92, Sha’Carri Richardson 10.94, Audery Leduc 10.95, Ewa Swaboda 10.99 and Dina Asher-Smith 11.01 have established themselves as the contenders for the title.
In the women high jump Temitope Adeshina, can only beat her chest to have made her Olympics debut. She cleared 1.88m, which was short of the 1.97m automatic qualification in group B. Her African rival Rose Amoanimaa Yeboah of Ghana who also did 1.88m to stay out of contention. Ukrainians Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Iryna Gerashchenko and Australians Nichola Olyslagers, Eleanor Peterson with 1.95m will decide the who collects the medals in the final.
The Nigeria mixed relay team will be in action later today when they run in the heats.
