Nigeria’s chances of securing a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics took a devastating hit on Friday morning, as Tobi Amusan, one of the country’s most celebrated athletes, failed to advance to the finals in the Women’s 100m Hurdles.
Amusan, the reigning world champion and world record holder in the event, was widely expected to lead Nigeria to the podium but was met with disappointment instead.
The 27-year-old sprinter ran her semi-final heat in 12.55 seconds, a time that saw her finish in third place. This result was not fast enough to automatically qualify her for the final, leaving Amusan and her supporters anxiously awaiting the results of the other semi-final heats.
The situation seemed hopeful after Heat 2, where Charisma Taylor of the Bahamas clocked 12.63 seconds. However, the third heat dashed any remaining hopes as Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent and France’s Cyrena Samba-Mayela recorded times of 12.44 and 12.52 seconds, respectively, both faster than Amusan’s.
Amusan’s exit is especially significant given that she recently overcame a doping ban, which she successfully appealed earlier this year. Despite the high expectations and her previous achievements, Amusan did not speak to the media following her elimination, leaving many to speculate about her thoughts and feelings.
This setback adds to what has already been a disappointing Olympics for Nigeria. The nation has yet to secure a medal after 14 days of competition.
The string of defeats began with Quadri Aruna’s early exit in table tennis, followed by Offiong Edem in the women’s singles and the defeat of Team Nigeria captain Opeyori in badminton. Nigeria’s athletes in wrestling, including Blessing Oborududu and Odunayo Adekuoroye, also failed to secure medals. The disappointment continued with the men’s and women’s 4x100m relay teams, who did not make it to the finals.
While Nigeria’s performance in the athletics track events has been disappointing, the women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, delivered an unexpected and historic performance by reaching the Quarter-Finals for the first time.
