Nigeria will field a nine-member team at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, from March 21 to 23, with in-form sprinter Ezekiel Nathaniel, shot put star Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, and high jump record-holder Temitope Adeshina among the key athletes.
Nathaniel, fresh from breaking the African indoor 400m record with 44.74 seconds, will compete in the men’s 400m and the 4x400m relay. The 21-year-old has been one of the world’s top performers this season, ranking second globally behind USA’s Christopher Bailey (44.70s). He will be aiming to become the first Nigerian man to win an individual World Indoor medal in the event.
Enekwechi, a Paris 2024 Olympic finalist, will compete in the men’s shot put. The 2018 African champion will be looking to build on his impressive form, having thrown 21.91m this season.
Adeshina, the Nigerian indoor and outdoor high jump record holder, will also be a strong contender in her event. The Texas Tech athlete, who recently made history as Nigeria’s first-ever NCAA high jump champion, has a season’s best of 1.93m and will aim to improve on her Olympic appearance in Paris.
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Nigeria’s 4x400m relay team will be led by Nathaniel and also features Joshua Caleb, Ifeanyi Ojeli, Chidi Okezie, James Onwuka, and Edidiong Okon Udo, as they seek to make an impact in China.
In the women’s long jump, Prestina Ochonogor, another Paris 2024 Olympic finalist, will hope to follow in the footsteps of Ese Brume, Nigeria’s last medalist at the World Indoors, who won silver in the long jump in 2022 in Belgrade.
The World Athletics Indoor Championships will feature 576 athletes from 127 countries, including eleven defending champions and several Paris 2024 Olympic medalists. Some of the top stars competing include Mondo Duplantis (pole vault), Grant Holloway (60m hurdles), Jakob Ingebrigtsen (1500m & 3000m), Yaroslava Mahuchikh (high jump), and Sarah Mitton (shot put).
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