August 24 was indeed a bad day for Nigerian sports and athletes at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Nigerian sprinters Favour Ofili and Alaba Akintola who were expected to land Nigeria a medal at the championships failed to progress to the final of the 200-meter man and women’s event on the said date.
Favour Ofili competed in the women’s 200-meter semi-finals at the 2023 World Athletics Championships heat 3. Unfortunately for her, she finished a distance 6th in 22.86 seconds.
Shericka Jackson, the defending champion, won the 200-meter heat in 22.00 seconds, while Sha’Carri Richardson, the 100-meter world champion, came in second in 22.20 seconds.
On the other hand, Alaba Akintola finished eighth in Heat 2 with a timing of 20.75 seconds as he failed to advance to the men’s 200-meter final at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.
Men’s 100-meter silver medalist Letsile Tebogo (19.96 seconds) and double silver medalist Kenny Bednarek (19.97 seconds) finished first and second, respectively, to advance to the final, which will take place later today, August 25.
OsunDailyNG has reported that Tobi Amusan failed to defend her world title on Thursday, August 24. She lost it in the final to 30-year-old Danielle Williams of Jamaica who last won it in 2015.
The current Olympic champion, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico, came in second in 12.44 seconds, while Kendra Harrison of the United States came in third in 12.46 seconds.
