One of the world’s leading Shot put throwers in 2016, Stephen Mozia tops the list of athletes selected to compete for Team Nigeria at the forthcoming IAAF World Championships in Portland in the USA. The championship is holding from March 17 to 20 at the Oregon Convention Center.
Mozia has been in impressive form this season, erasing the National Record (NR) a couple of times this year. He first erased his previous NR of 20.46s, setting a new mark and World Lead (WL) of 21.03m to win the Commodore Invitational held in Nashville, Tennessee in January.
The 22-year old thereafter set a superior mark and another WL of 21.11m at the Vanderbilt Invitational in Nashville on January 30, before recording a throw of 21.08m last month; he currently ranks 6th in the world.
This will be Mozia’s second outing at the World Indoors, having competed in Sopot two years ago. He finished 17th in his qualification group with a distance of 18.91m and was unable to make it to the final.
Other athletes set to compete in Portland are sprinter Ogho-Oghene Egwero is to run in the men’s 60m, while the trio of Orukpe Erayokan, Chidi Anthony Okezie and Adekunle Fasasi will compete in the men’s 400m.
African Games champion Tosin Oke will compete in the Triple Jump, while Patience Okon-George has been listed for the women’s 400m.
The men’s 4x400m team is to comprise of Okezie, Orukpe, Fasasi, Nathaniel Samson and Noah Akwu, while Henry Okorie and Abiola Onakoya are part of the reserve team.
The women’s 4x400m team includes Okon-George, Regina George, Margaret Bamgbose, Ada Benjamin, and Tameka Jameson. Margaret Etim and Praise Idamadudu will be used on the reserve team.
The team will be handled by Eric Campbell, Gabriel Okon, Gabriel Opuana and Daniel Etsebimimor.
What about Tobi. The girl that won the 60mH for UTEP?
Tobi wasn’t included in the team. Thanks!