The Nigerian women’s quartermile is one of the events to look out for this season as there seems to be a revolution taking place, going by the emergence of a new order being positioned to take over from the old guard, with youth and experience set to collide in the quest for Olympic tickets to Paris!
Ella Onojuvwevwo is the current National leader in the event with a lifetime best of 50.57s and is having the best season of her career. The Delta State native has run sub-51s for the fifth time this season and is the only Nigerian female quartermiler to qualify for the Olympics.
The LSU athlete is no doubt the heavy favourite to win the title but she needs to complete her lap before that becomes a possibility, especially as her competitors won’t make it a walk in the park for her.
Esther Elo Joseph announced herself to the world at the MTN CHAMPS/ African Games Trials held in Asaba where she emerged the surprise winner in the women’s 400m. She got selected for the African Games where she kept improving on her times from the heats, semifinal, and the final to win Silver with a Personal Best (PB) of 51.61s.
Joseph is the fastest home-based female quartermiler this season and has been on a winning streak on the domestic scene since the start of the season and will be hoping not to relinquish her lead when her foreign-based counterparts line up against her at the Olympic Trials. Securing GOLD at the recently-held CAA Region II Championships will no doubt be a morale booster ahead of the face-off with the rest of her teammates.
After taking a six-year hiatus to start up a family, Omolara Ogunmakinju (nee Omotosho) returned to the sport like she never left and is one athlete who cannot be overlooked. Her comeback effort at the 2023 African Games where she led the Nigerian mixed 4x400m quartet to victory in a then African Record of 3:13.26 can serve as a testament to her resilience.
Ogunmakinju has been on the podium at almost every National Championships she has attended, finishing 2nd thrice in 2012, 2014 & 2016 respectively, and she will be anticipating to go one better and also get the Olympic Standard. She has a Season’s Best (SB) of 51.90s.
Nigeria’s most consistent quartermiler in the last decade, Patience Okon-George will be desiring to win her 7th National title over the distance. Okon-George currently has an SB of 51.96s set at her season-opener at the MTN CHAMPS/African Games Trials in February. She was also a member of the formidable GOLD-winning mixed relay quartet at the African Games.
The 2014 World Relays Bronze medallist clocked 52.10s at the CAA Regionals in Ghana a week ago and has proven over the years that she can always be in-form and reliable in time for major championships. Okon-George will be gunning for her third trip to the Olympics.
One athlete that cannot be overlooked is Praise Idamadudu who won the women’s 200m National title in 2015. The Cumberland University athlete is gradually getting back her rhythm as she clocked a new lifetime best of 52.15s three weeks ago at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships to win the 400m title, and added the 200m crown as well.
Idamadudu has competed at major championships for Nigeria and is hoping to make her first Olympic Games, which will highly be dependent on her placement and time at the Olympic Trials.
Other quartermilers in the mix include Deborah Opeyemi Oke (52.18s), Imaobong Nse Uko (52.22s), and Esther Okon (52.71s).
