Browsing: Tokyo 2020

The 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist powered to victory at the Stadion Śląski in 12.64s (0.1), well ahead of Olympic Bronze medallist Megan Tapper who ran 12.75s and USA’s Christina Clemons, 3rd in 12.92s.

Nigeria earned one silver and one bronze medals from the Games, with a slew of promising performances as a number of athletes reached the final of their events. For the first time since 1996, a Nigerian athlete was in the final of the glamour event of the Games – the men’s 100m sprint. Young hurdler Oluwatobiloba Amusan narrowly missed netting a medal as she finished fourth in the women’s high hurdles final.

The Nigerian who was ranked 123 before the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games gained seven steps up the ladder to be rated 116 in the world, the third best African player in the world behind Egypt’s duo of Dina Meshref and Yousra Helmy who were ranked 37 and 101 respectively in the latest world rating.

Ogunbanwo, 17, swam to a new National Record of 59.74s, making her the first Nigerian woman ever to swim under the one minute mark in this event. Ogunbanwo broke Monu’s longstanding record of 1:00.50 which had stood for 14 years, and now has two Nigerian records in her bag.

“During the grass-court season, I, unfortunately, experienced a setback with my knee and have accepted that I must withdraw from the Tokyo Olympic Games,” the 40-year-old wrote.