2018 Youth Olympic Games: Nigeria claims two medals in athletics
Nigeria claimed two medals in the athletics event of the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Argentina after 18-year-old Rosemary Chukwuma defied all odds to win gold in the women’s 100metre final, while Alaba Olukunle Akintola had to settle for the silver in the men’s 100m.
According to IAAF, with the temperature at 30C at the Youth Olympic Park, both the men’s and women’s 100m races saw the champions crowned with top times, even though the tailwind scuppered their record eligibility.
Nigeria’s Chukwuma showed her stuff after coming into the second stage of the women’s short sprint third overall, the Nigerian – who entered the Games as the fastest in the field – was trailing through the first 50 metres of the women’s 100m. but the pressure didn’t show, as she held her top end speed the best to edge away
and win in 11.17, a time that would have been a Games record were it not for the 3.3m/s wind.
“I had to do it!” said a relieved Chukwuma. “My people were watching and they had told me I had to win, because Nigeria had not won any medals. Thank God I did.”
St Lucia’s Julien Alfred crossed second in 11.23secs to retain her silver medal position, missing gold by just 0.02. Ecuador’s Gabriela Suarez was third in 11.29, dropping from first, but still earning bronze.
In the men’s 100m final, the top three remained unaltered from stage one, as South Africa’s Luke Davids sealed gold with the win in 10.15 (3.4m/s) – again inside the previous Games record, but again not eligible for the books.
Fastest in the rain last week, he was swiftest in the sun, as he held off the mid- section charge of Nigeria’s Alaba Olukunle Akintola, pumping his chest in celebration as he crossed the line. “All the hard work, those early nights, the sacrifice was worth it!” beamed Davids.
Read Also: Youth Olympics: Team Nigeria departs for Argentina
Akintola was pleased with silver, offering buoyant congratulations to the winner. The more demure Seiryo Ikeda earned bronze for Japan with a 10.82 clocking.