Another Hope for Nigeria As Top Athlete Advances to Semifinal of Big Event at 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Another Hope for Nigeria As Top Athlete Advances to Semifinal of Big Event at 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Ibitoye Shittu
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:50 PM
  • Divine Oduduru has done well for Nigeria at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as he is now in the semifinal of the 200 meter
  • The Ugheli born athlete will hope to register his name in gold for Nigeria by winning the race in Japan
  • Oduduru was earlier at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics disqualified from participating in 100 meter due to false start

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Divine Oduduru has made Nigerians happy at the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Olympics after qualifying for the for the last four of men's 200 metre giving his nation another hope of getting a medal.

The 24-year-old achieved this success after finishing second behind Rasheed Dwyer of Jamaica, while Anaso Jobdwana came third according to the report on Punch.

Oduduru who was earlier disqualified from 100 meter heat 5 will now be hoping to do well for Nigeria in his next run at the Tokyo Olympics.

Divine Oduduru.
Divine Oduduru advances to semifinal at Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Photo by Richard Heathcote
Source: Getty Images

Nigeria's campaign in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics has not been an easy task considering the level of competition in Japan which has been making difficult for the West African nation to win medals.

The disqualification of some athletes also did not go to Nigeria as these 10 people would have given the country some hopes of winning.

Sadly, Blessing Okagbare who had given Nigerians big hope of landing a medal at the 2020 Olympics was also suspended due to doping issues.

Okagbare would have competed in the 200 meter, but her suspension gave Namibian athlete Christine Mboma the chance to break her 22.04-second record.

Also, Team Nigeria’s Patience Okon-George finished seventh in 52.41sec in heat one of women’s 400m and has crashed out.

Earlier, Legit.ng had reported how Nigerian athlete Ese Brume expressed delight after becoming the country’s first medalist at the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The 25-year-old Brume made a 6.97m leap in the Long Jump final to clinch the bronze medal, becoming Nigeria’s first medalist at the games.

She qualified for the final stage on Sunday morning leaping to a distance of 6.76m, 1cm more than the required mark to seal her place.

Germany’s Malaika Mihambo clinched the gold medal with 7.00m jump while USA’s Brittney Reese clinched the silver medal with 6.97m on count back.

After an exciting competition during which the lead changed hands frequently between Reese and Brume, Mihambo, who was placed third going into the final round, settled the deal with her last leap.

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Ibitoye Shittu
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