Falilat Ogunkoya
She is one of the best athlete that Nigeria has ever produced in track events.
She had a personal best of 49.10 secs in 400metres, which is currently the twelfth fastest of all-time in that event.
Medal Records
Olympics - 1996 Atlanta (4×400 relay Silver medal) and Bronze medal in 400m.
African Championships - 4 Gold medals in 200m & 400m, 2 Silver medals in 100m & 200m.
All Africa Games - 1 Gold medal (400m in 1999),
3 Silver medals (100m in 1987, 200m in 1987 and 400m in 1995).
Blessing Okagbare
She is a rare gem. The 31years-old sprinter days are numbered on the track and her absence will surely be felt.
It is high time for Nigeria to start searching for a successor of this great athlete to sustain our dominance in track and field events on the continent.
She holds the women's 100m Commonwealth games record for the fastest time at 10.85 secs. Her 100m best of 10.79secs made her the African record holder for the event, until it was eclipsed by Murielle Ahoure in 2016.
She was the African record holder in the 200m with her run of 22.04secs in 2018 and she was the African 100m & long jump champion in 2010.
Medal Records
Olympic games - Silver medal (2008 in Long jump).
World Championships - Silver (2013), Bronze (2013).
Commonwealth Games - 2 Gold medals (100m & 200m), 1 Silver medal and 1 Bronze medal.
All African Games - 3 Gold medals and 2 Silver medals.
African Championships - 6 Gold medals and 1 Silver medal.
IAAF world Relays - 1 Gold medal.
Continental cup - 1 Bronze medal.
Chioma Ajunwa
The Police officer was the first Nigerian Olympic gold medalist when she won her medal at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics.
Ajunwa once played for the Nigerian Women's team and she was a member of the Super Falcons squad to the 1991 Women's World Cup in China where she saw little action on the pitch
She was given a national award - Member of the Order of Niger (MON) by Nigeria former military Head of State, Late Sanni Abacha in 1996 for exploits at that year Olympics.
Although she was banned from Athletics for 4 years after failing a drug test in 1992, she came back quite strong and won many medals for her nation.
Medal Records
Atlanta '96 Olympics - Gold medal in Long jump.
Commonwealth Games ( 1990 in Auckland) - Bronze medal.
World Indoor Championships (1997 in Paris) - Silver medal.
All African Games (1991) - 1 gold medal.
Florence Ekpo-Umoh
She is a Nigerian-German sprinter who specializes in the 400m event. She was suspended from competing for two years for doping.
Ekpo-Umoh competed for Nigeria at the 1994 World Junior Championship in Portugal and she defected to Germany in 1995 during a training camp.
Medal Records
In Nigeria colours
She finished 8th position at the 1994 world junior championship in Portugal in 400m (53.84secs), & 14th in 4x400m relay (3:49.16).
While representing Germany
2001 world indoor championships - Bronze in 4x400m relay (3:31.00).
2001 World Championship - Silver medal in 4x400m relay (3:21.97).
2002 European Championship - Gold medal in 4x400m relay (3:25.10).
Oludamola Osayomi
She was born in June 1986 in IIesha, Osun state, and specializes in the 100m and 200m sprint. Her Personal Best for the 100m is 10.99secs set in Sao Paulo in 2011
Medal Records
African Championship - 4 Gold medals
2008 Olympics - Silver medal in 4x100m relay
She also won the 100 & 200m sprints at the 2007 All Africa games.
Mary Onyali Omagbemi
She was born on 3rd of February, 1968 and was a 5-time Olympian.
Her consecutive Olympic appearance from 1988 to 2004 made her the first Nigerian to compete at 5 Olympics - a feat was that has since then be matched by Table Tennis players Bose Kaffo and Segun Toriola four years later in Beijing, PR China.
She married a fellow Nigerian sprinter Victor Omagbemi.
Her Personal Best(PB) reecords in Sprints are;
100m - 10.97 (1993)
200m - 22.07 (1996)
400m - 54.21 (2000)
Medal Records
1992 Olympics - 4x100m Bronze medal
1996 Olympics - 200m Bronze medal
1994 Commonwealth Games
100m Gold medal
200m Silver medal
4x100m relay Gold medal
All African Games
3 Gold medals in 100m (1991, 1995 and 2003) and Bronze medal (1987).
3 Gold medals in 200m (1987, 1995 and 2003)
World Junior Championships (1986)
200m Silver medal
4x100m relay Bronze medal
Fabiyi Ridwan
Sports Writer and Analyst
