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Olympic
football
Osayomi compounds Nigeria’s woes
By Ben Memuletiwon, Reporting from Beijing
Monday, August 18, 2008
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| Photo:
Sun News Publishing |
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Nigeria recorded yet another failure yesterday as the country's
last medal hope in the sprint event, Osayomi Oludamilola,
crashed out of the women's 100m race coming, 8th in her group
in 11.44secs.
The female sprinter started the qualifiers in grand style
on Saturday, when she came first with the best time of 11.14secs.
She also scaled to the semi-final, coming second in the last
heat.
The African track amazon, who ran in Lane 9, had problem with
her take-off and could not get her bearing till the end of
the race.
The group's semi-final was won by Steward Kerron of Jamaica
in a time of 11.05secs. Edward Torri of USA came second in
11.18secs and Kwakye Jeanette of Great Britain came third
in 11.19secs.
Nigeria's second athlete in the 100m, Franca Idoko, lost out
in the first heat on Saturday while her male counterparts,
Olusoji Fasuba, Obinna Metu and Uche Emedolu, fell by the
way side as none of the trio made it to the semi-final in
a race that was eventually won by Jamaican 'Thunder' Usain
Bolt.
As bookmakers continue countdown to the end of the 29th edition
of the global s'ports fiesta, Nigeria may replicate the Mexico
'88 shame where the country failed to win a medal.
Countries like Togo, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and Egypt
have won medals, but the ‘giant of Africa’ is
still languishing in the doldrums.
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