Nse Uko, the youngest member of the Nigerian mixed relay
team which set a new African record at the Tokyo Olympics ran the fastest
qualifying time in the semifinal heats and looks on course to becoming the
third Nigerian girl after Fatimah Yusuf (1990) and Bisi Afolabi (1994) to win
the quartermile gold at the championship.
The 17 year old will run from lane six in the final as the
lone Nigerian representative.
Also through to the final is the 4x400m mixed relay team who
also ran the fastest time and a national record time of 3:21.66 in qualifying
for the final this evening at the Kasarani stadium in Nairobi.
In the 100m, the trio of Godson Oghenebrume, Praise Ofokwu
and Tima Godbless qualified for this evening’s semifinal.
Oghenebrume ran 10.35 seconds to win his heat while his
compatriot, Favour Ashe (11.00s) disappointed as he finished seventh to crash
out of the blue ribband event.
In the women’s race, both Ofoku and Godbless made it to the
semifinal. Ofoku ran 11.65 to win heat two of the first round while Godbless
was second (11.59) in the third heat behind Namibia’s Beatrice Masilingi who
ran a new 11.20 national record to win.