Mike Edwards claimed his first ever National title on Day 2 of the Nigerian Olympic Trials held at the Yaba College of Technology in Lagos, winning the men’s High Jump event after jumping a mark of 2.20m.
It was expected that the men’s High Jump would thrill the spectators and the event lived up to expectation as Best Erhire and Mike Edwards renewed their rivalry from the 2018 National Sports Festival in Abuja which was won by the latter.
Edwards came to the competition with a Season’s Best (SB) of 2.23m which he set at the MoC Invitational while Erhire set a new Personal Best (PB) of 2.20m which he jumped while competing in the NCAA for his school in the United States.
Edwards gained the advantage after jumping 2.20m on his first attempt while Erhire was unable to clear the same height at his first attempt even though he eventually did. Edwards and Erhire then asked for the bar to be raised at 2.24m, but after both men failed the height, Edwards then got the victory. Cyprian Oyedele was 3rd with 2.05m.
Meanwhile Esther Isa was delirious after scaling a lifetime’s best of 1.88m in the women’s High Jump, the highest she has ever jumped in her career. Isa needed three attempts to jump the height, and her joy showed what it meant to her winning the National title.
Back in April, shed jumped a PB of 1.85m while competing for her school in the United States. Today, she scaled that height at the first time of asking to equal her PB while competing at the Nigerian Olympic Trials. Yaba Tech has been a good competition ground for Isa who jumped a then PB of 1.82m in 2018 to win the women’s High Jump at the 1st MoC Grand Prix. After scaling 1.88m, Isa then attempted 1.90m but missed all three attempts.
Competing for the first time in Nigeria, Sade Olatoye claimed her first National title, throwing a mark of 17.52m to win the Women’s Shot Put and will be aiming for a good outing in the Hammer throw on Day 3. Sports Festival champion Annabel Orobosa threw a Personal Best of 17.17m to finish 2nd, while Hannah Kemele was 3rd with a throw of 15.08m.
Over to the men’s Triple Jump, Pius Nzube won the National title, leaping a mark of 15.92m with Blessing Oluwayemi finishing 2nd jumping 15.75m, and Monday Godwin 3rd with a distance of 15.67m.
Priscilla Zever won the women’s Javelin ahead of Chioma Enemuo and Francisca Chukwudulum while Baba Ibrahim took the men’s Hammer title as Monsuru Ganiyu finished 2nd.
