Yomi Omogbeja (11/07/2004)

Dramatic twists, exciting competition and personal injuries culminated with Mary Onyali-Omagbemi and Uchenna Emedolu missing out of the 100m in Athens as local athletes dominate.

Port Harcourt-based Tamunosiki Atorudibo against all expectations won the men’s 100 metres on Saturday at the 15th Nigeria/Mobil Track and Field Championships in Abuja.

In a field missing the reigning IAAF World Cup 100m champion Uchenna Emedolu, Atorudibo with an impressive time of 10.08sec beat current African champion Deji Aliu and Afro-Asia games 100m champion Adetokunbo Olusoji Fasuba to the second and third spot respectively.

Pre-race favourite Aliu clocked 10.11seconds while Fasuba returned a time of 10.19seconds.

UCLA graduate and African games bronze medallist Aaron Egbele also missed out of the automatic spot.

No celebrations yet

Local athlete Atoridibo has already ran a season best of 10.07 seconds in the semi-finals.

Atoridibo told journalists: “it was not yet time for celebration. My celebrations will come when I make the final eight in the Olympics.”

In the women's 100m final, Endurance Ojokolo breasted the tape in 11.17 seconds ahead of new entrant Damilola Osayemi (11.36seconds) and Mercy Nku (11.41 seconds).

Africa’s queen of the track and reigning Africa champion Mary Onyali- Omagbemi pulled out of the event on Friday due to injury.

Season-long pains

Ojokolo for the umpteenth time proved she’s up for the big occasion.

She beat the national leader this year - with 11.25 seconds - Mercy Nku again for her fourth Nigeria trials title, despite her injury woes this season.

“I had to push myself very hard to be here and run. I cannot tell anybody that I’ve been going through pains all season running my races, because that would be making excuses,” she said.

Nku, who was recently pardoned by the national athletics federation for her role in the relay ruckus last year in Paris world championships, was very delighted with her performance despite her defeat.

She said: “I thank God that despite all the distractions, I’ve made the team. I think that is the most important thing and not necessarily winning here.

“I want to go out there and win a medal at the Olympics. Not winning here would not stop me from achieving that goal.”

Australia-based Ambrose Ezenwa (20.60 seconds) and national festival champion Seyi Omojuwa (23.97 seconds) both won the 200metres in the male and female category respectively.

Athletes Selected For The Olympics

100m Women
Endurance Ojokolo 11.17
Damilola Osayemi 11.36
Mercy Nku 11.41
Gloria E. Kemasuode 11.46
Chinedu Odozor-Onikeku 11.52
Pauline Ibeagha 11.56

100m Men
Tamunosiki Atorudibo 10.08
Deji Aliu 10.11
Adetokunbo Olu Fasuba 10.19
Ambrose Ezenwa 10.25
Aaron Egbele 10.31
Chinedu Oriala 10.36

400m Women
Gloria Nwosu 52.13
Christiana Ekpukhon 52.31
Ngozi Nwokocha 52.51
Alimat Ismaila 53.13
Mabel Madujemu 53.39
Omolade Akinremi 55.88

400m Men
Saul Weigopwa 45,00
Godday James 45.76
Bola Lawal 45.84
Enefiok Udo-Obong 46.29
Musa Audu 46,30
Abayomi Agunbiade 46,32

* Uduak Ekah and Doris Jacob did not qualify for their individual events, based on Olympic A standards or AFN standards and they were dropped in the sprint relays for acts of gross indiscipline.

* Based on the Olympic A standard and AFN standards, Tamunosoki Atorudibo and Saul Weigopwa have qualified to participate in their individual events.

* Deji Aliu and Endurance Ojokolo have previously qualified for individual 100m.