2) Seye Ogunlewe vs Ogho-Oghene Egwero
Who will be Nigeria’s fastest man this year? What this category serves up is a clash between Seye Ogunlewe and Ogho-Oghene Egwero who will both aim to have the bragging rights when the National Championships comes up in July.
Ogunlewe is the current champion and he knocked off a few blocks to get there. He has probed, fought hard, but finally got his hand on the title last year running a time of 10.19s to fend off the challenge of Egwero who was 2nd clocking 10.21s in what was a very stiff contest.
Both athletes didn’t make it to the World Championships in Beijing, but sure prepared for a rematch at the 2015 African Games in Congo Brazzaville. There, it was Egwero who got the upper hand, having deliberately skipped going to Beijing just to prepare for the African Games, which paid off. While Ogunlewe was struggling with a bout of illness running 10.45s to finish 4th, Egwero clocked 10.17s to win Silver in the men’s 100m.
Interestingly, Egwero ran the fastest time he’s ever done in four years, matching his PB of 10.06s to win his semifinal race. He was fired up coming into the competition.
This year will take an expected dimension, both athletes will have a zeal to even lower their times considering that we are in an Olympic year. One will have to also factor in the likes of Jonathan Nmaju and former Champion Obinna Metu whom both would want to make the Nigerian team to Brazil
As more competitions pile up this year, both athletes would have a strong yearning to reach and cross the line before the other, and possibly become the first Nigerian male athlete to run a sub 10s since Olusoji Fasuba’s African Record of 9.85s, achieved in 2006.
