Stephen Dunmoye
Nigeria wrestler, Blessing Oborududu and Sprinter, Favour Ofili narrowly missed out on winning medal for team Nigeria in the wrestling and athletics events respectively at the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Tokyo Olympics Silver Medallist, Blessing Oborodudu lost to two time world champion, Nonoka Ozaki of Japan by 0-3 in the bronze medal fight of the women’s 68kg wrestling event.
Nonokas Ozaki, former Youth Olympic Champion started on a brighter note taking two points off Blessing Oborududu (15th African Champion) in the first period.
Upon resumption of the second period, the Japanese took an additional point off Oborududu and denied her of becoming the first Nigerian wrestler to win a medal at two Olympic Games.
Similarly in athletics, Nigeria’s Favour Ofili finished sixth in the women’s 200m final in a time of 22.24s. Ofili ran a Season Best in the semi-finals of the 200m in a time of 22.05s.
In the men’s 400m event, Samuel Ogazi became the first Nigerian athlete to qualify for the final since Innocent Egbuike at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Ogazi ran a new Personal Best of 44.41s to finish 3rd in the heat three of the 400m semi-finals.