Commonwealth Games: Amusan wins historic 100m hurdles gold, as Ofili settles for silver in 200m

Finals of the 100m and 200m women’s hurdles produced history as Team Nigeria’s world champion, Tobi Amusan again made history as she became the first Nigerian track and field athlete and the second to successfully defend a Commonwealth Games title in the event.

This is also as another Team Nigerian member, Favour Ofili won her very first individual medal after racing to Silver in the final of Women’s 200m event, at he Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, Sunday.

Amusan, the reigning World champion and world record holder in the 100m women’s hurdles, on Sunday, set a new 12.30 seconds Games Record on the way to winning the event’s gold medal.

The Nigerian sprinter also became the first Nigerian track and field athlete to win gold at two successive editions of the Games.

With the gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Amusan has now become the only Nigerian athlete in history to complete a grand slam of titles at the continental, Commonwealth and world levels after winning gold at the 22nd African Athletics championships in Mauritius in June and the IAAF’s World Athletics Championships in Oregon, United States, in July.

Amusan’s gold has now brought to 10 the number of gold medals won by Nigeria so far, one short of the 11 won in 1994, 2010 and 2014.

It is also one short of the three gold medals won by the track and field team in 1990, 1994 and 2014 with the 4x100m relays and the women’s long jump final coming up later Sunday afternoon and evening respectively.

Meanwhile, Tam Nigeria sprinter Favour Ofili produced the best performance of her senior career in a major championship at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, winning her first individual medal after racing to Silver in the final of Women’s 200m event.

Ofili clocked a time of 22.51s, putting some daylight between she and Namibia’s Christine Mboma who was trying to the close the gap on her African rival. Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah, who was a class apart from the rest of the field, bolted away from everyone to win Gold in the event.

Thompson stormed to a new Commonwealth Games Record of 22.02s, opening a big lead going into the home straight, and just motoring away from Ofili who cemented 2nd spot, while Mboma had to settle for Bronze in 22.80s.

Ofili has shown so much promise this season as she earlier broke Blessing Okagbare’s Nigerian Record of 22.04s, while also becoming the first Nigerian woman in history to run sub 22s when she ran 21.96s in May.

Only two African women have ever run under 22seconds: Mboma and Ofili, and they look like they would foster a continental rivalry that should entice the fans for many years.

The Nigerian will leave the championships a fulfilled woman, adding another individual medal to the 400m Silver medal she won three years ago at the African Games in Rabat. For now, she is honing her skills in the shorter sprints, running super fast times, and when she decides to return to the one lap, she could become unbeatable.

Sunday is Day 9 at the ongoing Commonwealth Games and athletes have continued to churn out more medals for Nigeria as the event entered its final stages.

Wrestling dominated the bulk of the medals on Saturday as Para-table tennis, Para athletics and athletes in other sports continued to make the  the country proud.

Wrestler Mercy Genesis won a gold medal for Nigeria, defeating Canadian Madison Parks 3-1 to win women’s Wrestling Freestyle 50kg.

In the men’s freestyle 57kg, Ebikewenimo Welson won the Silver medal after losing  10-0 to India’s Kumar Ravi while compatriot Hannah Reuben lost 2-4 to Canada’s Justina Di Stasio to clinch silver for Nigeria in the Women’s freestyle 76kg event.

In Para-table tennis, Nigeria’s Isau Ogunkunle was dominant in his third place match and did not drop a game, comfortably winning his match in men’s singles classes 5-3

 Ogunkunle defeated India’s Raj Alagar 3-0 to win bronze.

In the same event, Nigeria’s Nasiru Sule lost 1-3 to England’s Jack Hunter-Spivey to settle for silver.

Also in Para table tennis, Faith Obazuaye clinched the bronze medal in Women’s Singles Classes 6-10 third-place match. Obazuaye defeated Felicity Pickard of England 3-1 to finish on the podium.

In Para Athletics, Eucharia Iyiazi threw a new Games Record of 10.03m to win the gold medal for Nigeria at the women’s shot put F55-57 event.

Her national teammate Ugochi Alam got the Bronze with a throw of 9.30m.

More medals were, however expected in boxing, table tennis and athletics, amongst others.

The Games is scheduled to end on Monday.