The track at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta roared with excitement on Saturday evening as Chidera Ezeakor of Edo State and Kate Odumoso of Delta State sprinted their way into national glory, emerging as the fastest man and woman of the Gateway Games, Sports247 reports.
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Ezeakor delivered a statement performance in the men’s 100m final, clocking an impressive 10.27 seconds to clinch gold despite a slight headwind of -0.2 m/s.
The Edo State sprinter held off a strong challenge from his teammate, Olympian Enoch Adegoke, who settled for silver in 10.34 seconds.
Rivers State’s Taiwo James Emmanuel finished third in 10.43 seconds, while Ogun State’s own Caleb Temidara John narrowly missed out on a podium finish with 10.48 seconds.
The final was not without drama. Favour Ashe, a top contender representing Team Delta and one of the fastest Nigerians in history, was controversially disqualified for a false start, stunning fans and opening the door for new champions to emerge.
“I have trained for this, so I was not totally surprised,” said a jubilant Ezeakor after his win. “Now it’s time to get the body ready for the 4×100m relay. I believe we can do it and even improve on this performance.”
In the women’s 100m final, held under a stronger headwind of -1.5 m/s, Kate Odumoso of Delta State powered through to victory, stopping the clock at 11.45 seconds.
Her teammate, Obi Jennifer Chukwuka, claimed silver in 11.55 seconds, while Ogun State’s Badá Iyanuoluwa gave the home crowd reason to cheer with a bronze-winning run of 11.58 seconds. Bayelsa’s Sophia Oghenekaro placed fourth with 11.71 seconds.
The 100m finals solidified Edo and Delta states’ reputation as sprint powerhouses in Nigeria, producing electrifying performances and underlining the depth of talent within their ranks.
With the relays and more events ahead, the battle for supremacy on the track is far from over as Athletics continues at the 22nd National Sports Festival tagged Gateway Games
