Nigeria goes for 6 gold as Marrakech 2014 ends

TEAM Nigeria will go for six more gold medals as the 19th African senior Athletics Championships end today (Thursday) in Marrakech, Morocco.
The AAC defending champions will compete in six finals men and women’s 200m, men and women’s 4x400m relays, the women's 400m hurdles and the women's triple jump.
Before the commencement of Wednesday event at the Great Stadium, Marrakech, Team Nigeria topped the medals table with six gold medals, four silver and four bronze medals ahead of South Africa with five gold medals, four silver and one bronze medals, while Kenya placed third with two gold medals, one silver and five bronze medals.
But Wednesday turned out to be another medals harvest day for Nigeria following the superlative performances of its athletes.
Tyron Akins, Alex Al-Ameen and Martins Ogierakhi dominated the 110 hurdles and made a clean sweep of all the medals for grabs in the event.
National champion, Akins returned a time of 13.57secs to win the title almost two decades since Nigeria had last won gold in the event, while Al-Ameen and Ogierakhi followed closely in 13.78seconds and 13.80seconds respectively.
Defending champion in the men’s triple jump event, Tosin Oke lost his crown to Commonwealth champion, Khotso Mokoena who took gold in 17.03m, just six-centimetre higher than Oke who leaped to a Season’s Best (SB) of 16.97m. The five-time Nigerian champion also relinquished
his Commonwealth crown to the South African in Glasgow, winning the silver medal instead. Compatriot Olu Olamigoke placed sixth with 16.18m.
In other events, national champion Divine Oduduru qualified for the final of the men’s 200m, having finished second in the semifinals. He will be going against the continent’s best, Isaac Makwala in Thursday’s final, as well as 100m champion, Wilfried Koffi Hua and Kenya’s Carvin Nkata who finished ahead of him in the semis.
The battle for gold in the women’s 200m will be between Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire as the former has three contenders, Gloria Asumnu, Regina George and Dominique Duncan, while the latter have double World Championships silver medallist, Murielle Ahoure, Marie J and Ta Lou Gonezie to contend with.
Amaka Ogoegbunam also secured her place in the final as she led the heats in 56.49secs, ahead of former African champion Hayat Lambarki and South Africa’s Anneri Ebersohn. Compatriot, Kemi Francis finished in seventh position in 1:01.42.
In the women’s 800m, Abiye David narrowly missed out on qualification for the final as she placed third in her heat in 2:08.58, behind Kenya’s Eunice Sum and Ethiopia’s Lidiya Melese.
Nigeria still leading the medals table looks set to retain the title it won two years ago in Benin Republic.
.............
Caption: Ese Brume celebrates after winning the women's long jump gold in Marrakech.