Patience Okon George has become the latest quarter-miler to attain qualification for the 2017 World Championships after clocking a Season’s Best (SB) of 51.34s to win heat 2 of the women’s 400m at the National Championships taking in Abuja.

The reigning National champion has been chasing qualification since coming close earlier at the Grenada Invitational where she posted a time of 52.26s. Having now hit the mark, Okon George will be delighted that she has qualified even before the final on Friday.

Okon George is undoubtedly the favourite to retain her 400m title

Prior to the race today, only Yinka Ajayi and Margaret Bamgbose have met the mark for London, but the tally grew to four with Abike Egbeniyi joining Okon George as qualifiers, incidentally clocking exactly the qualifying time of 52.10s to finish 2nd in the same heat.

Egbeniyi who mainly competes in the 800m, has now qualified in the 400m

Bamgbose couldn’t make it to the National trials, making it a dilemma which three athletes the Federation would send to London as four people have now all qualified.

Ajayi who competed in heat 1 ran a time of 52.57s, beating Folashade Olotu who was 2nd in 53.88s and Praise Idamadudu 3rd in 54.22s. Meanwhile, MoC’s Glory Nyenke won heat 3 and qualifies for the final tomorrow running a time of 56.04s, with Linda Friday 2nd in 57.67s and another MoC athlete, Blessing Obarierhu 3rd in 58.43s.

Ajayi will be hoping she can better or match her PB of 51.57s set here in Abuja last month

In the men’s 400m, Samson Nathaniel who is the only Nigerian male quarter-miler to have qualified for London, on Thursday ran the fastest time of all four heats to go through to the next round.

Nathaniel won heat 4 in 46.64s with Bamidele Emmanuel 2nd in 47.18s and Gerald Odeka 3rd 49.23s. In that race, MoC’s Segun Akhigbe ran a new Personal Best (PB) of 49.49s to finish 5th.

Nathaniel eases through the line in his 400m heat

Meanwhile in heat 1, Prosper Ogbonna clocked 46.71s to cross the line ahead of Noah Akwu who was 2nd in 47.48s and Afeez Abdulrahman 3rd in 47.62s. Adeyemi Sikiru won heat 2 in 47.56s to secure his passage to the final, while former champion Isah Salihu is another automatic qualifier having held off Atanda Akindele to win in 47.49s, and the latter was 2nd in 47.65s.

Ogbonna will be Nathaniel’s biggest challenger in the final.

Action will continue on Day 2, and who knows the times could even get faster in the men’s semis.

 

MoC’s Nyenke won her heat and will be competing in her first senior final on Friday

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Athletics coverage was a discovery, having to move away from regularly writing about Football. Although it was initially daunting, but now being an authority in it makes the past effort worthwhile. From travelling on the same international flight with Nigerian athletes, to knowing you could easily interview: World Record holder Tobi Amusan, then Ese Brume, I have cut my teeth in this beat earning the trust of Athletics sources. Formerly the Content Manager-Sports at Ringier media Nigeria, Chris is a Senior Sports writer, Photographer & Community manager at Making of Champions.

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