Nigeria delivered a strong start at the Senior Athletics Championships on Tuesday, securing multiple top finishes across sprint, hurdles, and field events on day one of competition.
The action began on a high note for Team Nigeria as Rosemary Chukwuma dominated women’s 100m heat 2, cruising to victory in 11.44 seconds.
She controlled the race from the start and finished comfortably ahead of her rivals.
In the men’s 100m heats, Chidera Ezeakor produced an even faster performance, clocking 10.38 seconds to win his race and edge out Ghana’s Abdul-Rasheed Saminu in front of a home crowd.
Nigeria continued its momentum on the track through Samson Nathaniel, who claimed first place in the men’s 400m heat, finishing ahead of Uganda’s Omuka Kenneth and Kenya’s Musika Malongo.
In the women’s 400m, South Africa’s Marlie Viljeon took top spot, but Nigeria’s Esther Okon secured second place, doing enough to progress to the next round.
Hurdles star and world record holder Tobi Amusan also lived up to expectations, posting a season’s best time of 12.82 seconds to lead the qualifying heats and book her place in Wednesday’s final.
There was also a dramatic moment for Favour Ashe, who was initially disqualified for a false start in the men’s 100m. Following a successful appeal by Nigeria, he was granted a solo re-run and recorded 10.55 seconds to qualify for the semi-finals.
Nigeria also made its mark in the field events, earning two medals in the women’s discus. Divine Oladipo secured silver in her debut outing for Nigeria, while Obiageri Amaechi added a bronze medal to complete a double podium finish for the country.
The championships, which began on May 12, will run until May 17, with Nigerian athletes set to compete across multiple events as the competition continues.
