Nigeria’s biggest medal haul in Athletics was won at the 1990 edition of the Commonwealth Games held in Auckland, New Zealand. The team won a total of 10 medals – three GOLD, four Silver and three Bronze medals.
Yussuf Alli leapt to GOLD in the men’s Long Jump with a Games Record of 8.39m (+5.7 m/s). He inspired a 1-3 for Nigeria in the event as teammate Festus Igbinoghene claimed Bronze with 8.18m.
Alli recounts that historical moment which formed one of the highlights of his career:
Adewale Olukoju won the men’s Discus throw with 62.62m, finishing ahead of Australia’s duo of Werner Reiterer (61.56m) and Paul Nandapi (59.94m). He added a Silver medal in the Shot put with a throw of 18.28m. Watch Olukoju compete in the Shot put at the Games:
Fatimat Yusuf also struck GOLD in the women’s 400m with a time of 51.08s, making her the first African woman to win the event at the Commonwealth Games, while Charity Okpara won Bronze in the same race with a time of 52.01s.
Watch Fatimat Yusuf (Lane 3) race to the continent’s first GOLD medal in the event:
Other medallists at the 1990 Games include Davidson Ezinwa – Silver in the men’s 100m (10.05s); Beatrice Utondu (Long Jump, 6.65m); Victor Nwankwo, Davidson Ezinwa, Osmond Ezinwa and Abdullahi Tetengi (men’s 4x100m, 38.85s); Beatrice Utondu, Fatima Yusuf, Charity Opara and Chioma Ajunwa (women’s 4x100m, 44.67s).
As the countdown to this year’s Commonwealth Games begins, join us for a daily highlight of some of Nigeria’s best moments at the Games, which will come to a climax on the opening day of Gold Coast 2018.
