July 31, (THEWILL) – In some cheering news for Team Nigeria’s participation at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Nigeria’s only 100m hurdles ambassador Oluwatobiloba Ayomide Amusan won heat 3 of the women’s 100 metres hurdles event to advance to the semi-finals on Saturday.
In lane 4 of the field of first round hurdlers, Amusan finished in 12.72 seconds, ahead of Yanique Thompson of Jamaica who ran in at 12.74 seconds. Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska ran a personal best 12.75 to place third as the three entered Sunday’s line of semi-finals athletes.
THEWILL reported in April that Amusan’s aspirations of Olympic glory with a podium finish at the XXXII Olympiad to which she had dedicated a life of hard work, perseverance and dedicated passion, received the backing of Dapo Abiodun, the executive governor of Ogun State through the Sports Ministry’s adopt-a-talent initiative.
The benefits of that strategy provided the material resources for Amusan to prepare ahead of the the Games and the 24-year-old African champion, who reached the semi-finals of the Olympics at Rio 2016 in a time of 12.91, has shaved several seconds off that finish to remain a medal hopeful.
She will apply that improvement when she takes to the lanes again in Sunday’s semifinals and also when she turns up to represent Team Nigeria alongside three other female athletes in the women’s 4x100m relay eventevent which will begin with heats on Thursday, August 5.
Unfortunately, one of Nigeria’s best medal hopefuls, African sprint champion, Blessing Okagbare was suspended on Saturday for failing a doping test after her submitted sample tested positive for human growth hormone.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
