Team Nigeria had just two athletes who were in action on Day 4 at the ongoing 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China.
Competing in heat 2 of the women’s 400m semi-final, National champion Patience Okon-George matched her Personal Best (PB) of 50.76s finishing 4th.
This is the third time that she will be running below 51s this year, the second time at this Championships, running the fastest time by a Nigerian quarter-miler since Falilat Ogunkoya’s ran 50.50s at the 2001 World Championship in Fukuoka, Japan.
Okon-George started in lane 8 on Tuesday and came close to qualifying for the final as the fastest losers, with America’s Phyllis Francis who did 50.50s taking the last spot. The 2014 4x400m World Relays Bronze medallist will now hope to put in a better performance when the relays come up.
Making his first appearance at a World Championships, 200m National champion Peter Tega Odele was the other Nigerian athlete in action on Day 4. The University of Benin graduate finished 6th in heat 2 of the men’s 200m first round, clocking 20.49s.
Odele who started in lane 2, was 0.02 away from matching his PB of 20.47s, competing as only the 2nd male athlete to have represented Nigeria in track events at this Championships. Miles Ukaoma who competed in the 400m hurdles was the other male athlete. Only three male athletes are representing Nigeria at the Worlds this year, as Tosin Oke is yet to compete in the Triple Jump.
It has not gone the way Team Nigeria would have wanted, but there is still room to hope for better things to come, maybe in the relays or the 200m where Blessing Okagbare is billed to compete.
