The Sun News On-line

Seven-time winner of the 100m event of the annual Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN)/ExxonMobil track and field championships, Mary Onyali-Omagbemi, has applauded the quality of performances in the men and women 100m events of the 19th edition of the championships, which ended yesterday inside the mainbowl of the Abuja National Stadium.

Two new champions, little known Obinna Metu and reigning African queen of the track, Damola Osayomi emerged the men and women champions respectively, and Onyali-Omagbemi says the two finals were very competitive and has given Nigerians fresh hope of a possible medal outing in Beijing next month.

“I am quite impressed with the quality of the championships in terms of both the organization and the performances on the track. I almost didn’t want to come, but what I witnessed penultimate Monday here in Abuja during the Confederation of African Athletics Grand Prix convinced me this championship will be explosive and I am happy I followed my instinct because I would have been very sad to only hear about these wonderful performances when in actual fact, I should have been there,’’ began the former African queen of the track .

Onyali-Omagbemi revealed she was undecided over who would emerge the fastest man this year based on the upset recorded in the Abuja Grand Prix, where Adetoyi Durotoye inflicted on reigning African champion and record holder at 9.85 in the event, Olusoji Fasuba his first defeat on any track in Nigeria since 2006, but knew Osayomi was way ahead of her adversaries in the women’s event.

“The 100m men was wide open following the shocking result recorded last week Monday at the Abuja Grand Prix. I saw new faces that I thought could spring surprises at the Mobil championships. In fact, it was solely because of that that I made up my mind to stay for the championship instead of returning to the United States of America. I foresaw a lot of upsets in the event, while in the women, Damola (Osayomi) was like untouchable,” she revealed.

The mother of a girl –Tia, who was 11 years-old last month- and a boy, Evans, who is barely six months old believes the quality of performance in the two finals has been hope-raising as Nigeria prepares to storm Beijing next month for the Olympics and she was particular about the men’s 4x100m, which she predicted might go one better than they did four years ago in Athens, where they returned with a silver medal.

“Nigeria can produce two 4x100m relay quartet from the 100m final I saw here because of the quality of their performance. We can have two teams and use them to prepare for Beijing so that we can have a quality reserve as good as the four that will run in any relay. The advantage is that we rest one or two of our best legs for the final if need be to boost our chances of appearing at the podium.”
Onyali-Omagbemi is convinced the men’s team can go as far as the silver medal position in Beijing next month if the team gets the right preparation.

“Nigeria is always one of the medal contenders when it comes to the 4x100m. The whole world always panic when they see us in the final. It is just a question of keeping everything in the can and release the energy at the right time.
“I think if we do what we are supposed to do in terms of preparation, we should be able to pick a silver,’’ she predicted but could not stick out her neck yet for the women’s team, whose participation in the event in Beijing is still dicey.

‘’The 4x100 women is a bit shaky but I am praying that between now and the Olympics if they can get better as far as their personal best is concerned,then we can have a chance of picking a medal.From what I have seen at this championship,the athletes are just in the middle of peaking.We need about three competitions to give them the sharpness they require to measure up in Beijing’’,advised the sprinter who in 1992 in Barcelona led Nigeria to her first and only women’s 4x100m relay Olympic medal till date.

Both Osayomi and the athlete who came second behind her at the championships ran new personal best of 11.08 and 11.14 respectively with Osayomi running her personal best twice-in the semi-final and the final decided on Wednesday.