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The 2024 Olympics is gradually winding down, and Nigerian athletes have given their best, but there are quite a few things they can learn from the competition.
Nigerian athletes have produced magical performances at Paris 2024, but none has been worthy of a podium finish. The country has had at least four athletes make the final of their respective events, but no medal to show for it yet.
Favour Ofili made the women's 200m final; Frank Ogazi made the final of the men's 400m for the first time in 38 years. Chukwuebuka Enekwechi made the shotput final, while 35-year-old Blessing Oburududu lost out in the bronze medal match in wrestling.
Ese Brume (5th) and Ruth Usoro (10th) have also failed to finish on the podium in the women's long jump. Tobi Amusan remains Nigeria's only realistic chance in the hunt for an Olympic medal in the 100m hurdles.
However, despite these impressive feats, it could have been better if the following important points were taken into consideration.
1. Photo Finish
In one of the greatest 100m races of all time, America's Noah Lyles beat his counterpart from Jamaica Kishane Thompson, by the hundredth of a second.
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17:09 - 07.08.2024
Paris 2024: Top 10 ranking of Nigeria's best-performing athletes at the ongoing Olympics
Paris 2024 has been a good outing for Nigeria athletics in a number of ways. Here are the top 10 best-performing athletes so far that have made this happen at the ongoing Olympics
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22:37 - 07.08.2024
Paris 2024 Olympics: Where does Favour Ofili rank among Nigeria's best female sprinters in Olympic history?
With the caliber of female sprinters Nigeria has produced, this piece details where Favour Ofili ranks among the best in Olympic history.
Although the Jamaican crossed the line first with his feet, it was Noah Lyles's dip at the need with his upper torso crossing the line first that was the difference.
Favour Ofili should have won at least a bronze medal in the 200m women's final, but she looked behind her shoulders just before crossing the finishing line.
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This 'harmless' gesture cost her a lot as she missed out on a podium finish with just 0.005 seconds.
2. Save the best for the last
Again, Favour Ofili and Samuel Ogazi and other Nigerian athletes produced better times in their heats and semifinals - only to fail to do the same when it mattered the most.
21-year-old Favour Ofili ran an incredible time of 20.05s to qualify for the 200m final, and had she repeated this feat in the final, she would have won silver.
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However, I know many people will point to the lane 9 she ran in the final, and while that is a valid argument, Favour Ofili could have profited by saving her best for the last.
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12:38 - 06.08.2024
Paris 2024 Olympics: Unprecedented milestone for Ese Brume leading three Nigerian jumpers into Olympic final
Nigerian trio of Ese Brume, Ruth Usoro, and Prestina Ochonogor will compete in the women's long jump final, a historic feat in Olympic history.
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19:44 - 06.08.2024
Paris 2024: Samuel Ogazi makes Nigeria's first 400m Olympic final in 36 years, matches the legendary Innocent Eggbunike's record
When the legendary Innocent Egbunike competed at Seoul 1988, Samuel Ogazi wasn't born. The teenager has now become Nigeria's first 400m Olympic finalist in 36 years.
Taking a cue from Noah Lyles, who had the worst qualifying time of all American athletes in the 100m, he then produced a personal best in the final to win gold. Nigerian athletes can learn something from this because that's what champions do - they save the best for last.
3. Ditch Nigeria to win medals
Before you accuse me of being unpatriotic, please spare a minute to read this first.
I'm sure you have seen how the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC) 'miraculously' omitted Favour Ofili's name from the 100m list.
Nigeria's Sports Minister John Owan Eno came out to say a lot but ended up not addressing anything. And yes, nobody would be held accountable, and there'd be no consequences. If you're a Nigerian, this won't be strange to you.
Many smart athletes already proved this point in the past, and most recently, a Nigerian athlete Annette Nneka Echikunwoke who was let down by the country during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics changed camp to the USA.
The instant result is that Annette Nneka Echikunwoke recently won a Silver medal for the USA in Paris 2024. If she had remained loyal to Nigeria, who knows, maybe her name would have been missing again.
Another shameful example is Ese Ukpeseraye who had to rely on a borrowed bike from Germany to represent Nigeria in the Keirin & Sprint event.
Life gives everyone a choice, and I'm pretty sure many would prefer to represent a nation that dignifies them and provides all the support they need to win laurels. Unfortunately, Nigeria is not that nation at the moment.
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