Nigeria duo of Prestina Ochonogor and Justina Tiana Eyakpobeyan missed out on the medal zone in the Long Jump and 100 meter final respectively in the 2024 World Youth Athletics Championship taking place in Lima, Peru, Sports247 reports.
Read Also: Maresca Approves Osimhen Mega Deal As Chelsea Submits Bid
Hope rises on the two athletes to deliver at least a podium in respectively events after they impressed on their way to the on the opening day on Tuesday
Prestina Ochonogor, became the first Nigerian U20 Long Jump that will be competing in the final of the competition after she leapt 6.28m in the first round.
However, she missed out on a podium placement in the Final finishing 5th with her best jump of 6.21m as Delta Amidzovski won the gold medal with a leap of 6.58m while American Sophia Beckmon picked the Silver with a leap 6.54 while Julia Adamczyk won the bronze with a jump of 6.34m.
On the other hand, Justina Tiana Eyakpobeyan finished 7th in the women’s 100m final in a time of 11.63s as Jamaica’s Alana Reid emerged the new World U20 Champion, finishing the dash with a blistering 11.17s while Adaejah Hodge picked the Silver in 11.27s and Kishawna Niles in won the bronze with 11.37s as the Caribbeans made it a clean sweep of the medals in the event.
Apart from the duo who ran in the finals of their respective events, other Nigerians started their World Championship outing on the second. day.
Nigeria started the day with the ouster of Taiwo Mary Kudoro who ran 1:01.51 and finished 7th in her heat competing in the women’s 400m Hurdles.
The same fate befell Oseiwe Salami who competed in heat 4 of the men’s 400m Hurdles finishing 7th after clocking 54.06s, and failed progress to the semifinal.
However Ella Onojuwejvo produced the bright spark of the day when she came second in the 3rd Semi Final to qualify for the women’s 400m final.
Onojuwejvo ran a time of 51.99s, to finish Czech’s Lurdes Gloria Manuel who won the race in 51.91s.
However, it was a sad story in men’s 400 meter Semi final race as Gafar Badmus finished 5th in a time of 47.43s to crash out of the event
Action continues on Thursday as Nigeria is yet to win a medal in the U20 Athletics championship.
