Two Nigerians, Saturday, smashed athletics record to become Gold medalists in the finals of the 100m in men and women category at the 20th National Sports Festival at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City of Edo State.
Enoch Adegoke clocked 10.28s to win Gold for Team Edo in the final of the men’s 100m.
Grace Nwokocha stamped 11.46s in the women’s 100m final, to coast home her first Gold medal for Delta State.
Living up to his favourite’s billing, Adegoke dominated the race from the start, and although there was a late surge from his teammate, Alaba Akintola towards the end, he did just about enough to win and stake his claim as Nigeria’s fastest man.
Akintola illustrated how good a form he has at the festival from the heats, as he improved on his Personal Best (PB) time he set Saturday to win Silver in 10.29s. Jerry Jakpa of Lagos State won Bronze with a new Season’s Best 10.33s.
Further back was defending champion Usheoritse Itsekiri, who was racing for in his second event of the year, as he couldn’t get in on the podium for Team Delta.
Oche Emmanuel of FCT was fifth in 10.57, clocking the same time as Lagos’ Favour Ashe who took sixth position.
Nwokocha closed the gap on Joy Udo-Gabriel, who took the early lead in the race to snatch the pack.
And she never lost the position from there as she held on to win GOLD in 11.42s (+0.2), a time that wasn’t so fast considering they had been left on the starting blocks for about 15 minutes before the race began.
Team Lagos’ Udo-Gabriel, starting in the lane next to Nwokocha, never stopped trying to get on terms and was rewarded with Silver for her effort, going 11.44.
Bronze went to Team Bayelsa’s Tima Godbless who clocked 11.61, 0.02s shy of her Personal Best, finishing one place ahead of Delta’s Praise Ofoku (11.73).
