Nigeria’s fastest man and woman, Seye Ogunlewe and Blessing Okagbare top the list of 35 athletes selected by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) to execute next month’s Olympic Games taking centre stage in Rio, Brazil.
Commonwealth Record holder Okagbare had already qualified for the sprint double last year, before booking her spot in the Long Jump at the Eugene Diamond League this year where she made a leap of 6.73m.
Ogunlewe on the other hand, secured his spot in the men’s 100m after racing to a Personal Best (PB) of 10.12s at the Nigerian Trials held last weekend in Sapele, Delta State, retaining his title in the process.
In a statement signed by Olukayode Thomas, AFN Head of Media and Communications, Okagbare will compete in the 100m/200m, as well as the Long Jump where she won a Bronze medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
Curiously, nine ladies have been listed for the women’s 4x100m, when the maximum number of athletes that can be entered for the relays is six. It’s a similar story in the women’s 4x00m where eight names were pencilled down.
It remains to be seen which six athletes will be entered into each relay at the Olympic Games. What is certain is that at least five of the ladies listed in the relays will not be competing in Rio.
MEN
100m: Seye Ogunlewe, Ogho-Oghene Egwero, Monzavous Edwards
200m: Divine Oduduru, Tega Odele
400m: Orukpe Erayokan
110 Hurdles: Antwon Hicks
400m Hurdles: Miles Ukaoma
Triple Jump: Tosin Oke, Olu Olamigoke
Shot put: Stephen Mozia
WOMEN
100m: Blessing Okagbare, Gloria Asumnu, Peace Uko
200m: Blessing Okagbare
400m: Patience Okon-George, Omolara Omotosho, Margaret Bamgbose
100m Hurdles: Oluwatobiloba Amusan
400m Hurdles: Amaka Ogoegbunam
High Jump: Doreen Amata
Long Jump: Ese Brume, Blessing Okagbare
Discus: Chinwe Okoro
Shot put: Nwanneka Okwelogu
Heptathlon: Uhunoma Osazuwa
4x100m: Blessing Okagbare, Jennifer Madu, Gloria Asumnu, Peace Uko, Agnes Osazuwa, Zainab Sanni, Cecilia Francis, Khadijat Suleman, Olivia Ekpone
4x400m: Patience Okon-George, Margaret Bamgbose, Omolara Omotosho, Regina George, Yinka Ajayi, Rita Ossai, Ibukun Mayungbe, Ekundayo Sogbesan
Nig forget so soon, folashade abugan dat make Nigeria proud at last common weather, are name is missing, she can do it for them again, tell the federation dat the team is nt yet complete, she is an experienced runs,
Only the Top 3 athletes will compete at the Olympics. Folashade Abugan competed in the 400m final at the Nigerian Trials in Sapele but finished 8th, that was why she wasn’t selected.