Chukwuma, Nwokocha Fail to Reach Podium as Jamaican Thompson-Herah Wins Gold 

*Kenyan Omanyala add gold to African record, Simbine settles for silver

Duro Ikhazuagbe 

Nigeria’s duo of Rosemary Chukwuma and Grace Nwokocha failed in their bid to make the podium in the women’s 100m final of the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last night. 

Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah, the only one of Jamaica’s “Big Three” women to show up at Birmingham 2022, was rewarded with the 100 metres gold. She clocked 10.95 to win the gold while St. Lucia ‘s Julien Alfred (11.01) and Daryll Neita (11.07) of England settled for the silver and bronze medals.

Both Chukwuma (11.17) and Nwokocha (11.17) finished fourth and fifth in the women’s sprint in which Blessing Okagbare won both the 100m and 200m at the 2014 edition of the Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

The two Nigerian sprinters had showed so much promise in both the heats and the semi final races to give compatriots hope of podium placements. But that was not to be as Thompson-Herah, twice the 100/200m sprint champion at the Olympics raced to the finish line unchallenged.

The Jamaican finished third in last month’s World Championship 100 final behind Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. She was originally only a reserve for the Commonwealths but when Fraser-Pryce opted out, she stepped in.

With Dina-Asher Smith, fourth in Eugene, also absent through injury, Thompson-Herah was the clear favourite for her first individual Commonwealth title.

Speaking shortly after Thompson-Herah was presented with her gold last night, the Jamaican lady admitted feeling good winning the gold medal.

“Feeling good, I didn’t have the best execution but nevertheless I had to dig for that one but I am still grateful to win my first Commonwealth Games,” she said.

“I started in 2014 in the 4x100m. Then in 2018 in the 200m I came fourth and now I upgraded to a gold.”

In the men’s race, Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala took the gold ahead of his South African rival Akani Simbine.  Omanyala who converted from rugby to sprinting in his late teen years, coasted home in 10.02 secs while Simbine took the silver in 10.13. Sri Lanka’s Yupun Abeykoon (10.14) got the consolatory bronze medal which is his country’s first Commonwealth Games track & field medal since 1998.

Nigeria’s men in the sprint, Favour Ashe and Godson Oghenebrume could not go beyond the semis.