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Annette Echikunwoke and Ezinne Abba dumped Nigeria to represent USA internationally, but now have failed to make the US team to the World Championships in Budapest.
At the just concluded US Championships, Annette Echikunwoke and Ezinne Abba faced the reality of not competing at this summer's World Championships in Budapest after failing to make the US team.
Echikunwoke finished fifth in the women's hammer throw with a distance of 73.09m, while Abba didn't even make the finals of the 100m and 200m events.
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Both athletes would have made the Nigerian team had they not changed nationality, as Echikunwoke's Season's Best (SB) of 75.00m passed the Budapest qualifying standard of 73.60m.
For Abba, despite having a standout season with the University of Texas and running lifetime bests of 10.98s (in the 100m) and 22.47s (in the 200m) to qualify for Budapest, will have to wait another two years for a World Championships debut.
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The duo would have had an easy passage at the Nigerian trials, as they're the best in their events this season, and making the top three would have been an effortless job.
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22:48 - 10.07.2023
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Why Echikunwoke and Abba dumped Nigeria for the US
When Echikunwoke chose to represent Nigeria in January 2021, she threw four successive Nigerian and African records of 75.49m in the women's hammer throw to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.
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Sadly, she decamped back to represent the US due to the negligence of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) not setting up drug tests and not relaying her need to share her whereabouts - A situation whereby ten Nigerian athletes were affected in this shameful act by AFN.
The 26-year-old would later term it the most "traumatic experience" of her life, which led her to switch countries to her country of birth. Her request got granted at the last minute before the 2022 US Championships, where she earned a spot at the world championships in Oregon, eventually getting to the final and finishing 12th overall.
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Abba also chose to follow the laborious route of making the US team than putting up with the incompetence or uncertainties surrounding the AFN.
The budding speedster decided to run for Nigeria in 2022 and even sponsored herself to the Nigerian trials in Benin.
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23:57 - 10.07.2023
Ofili and Chukwuma may miss Budapest as AFN insists on 'No Trials, No World Championships'
Nigeria's current best female sprinters may miss the World Championships in Budapest due to a new AFN's rule.
However, she couldn't compete in the individual events because of a hamstring strain, but was later selected as an anchor leg runner in the 4x100m relay team in a bid to qualify for the World Championships in Oregon.
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The 22-year-old made the Nigerian 4x100m relay team to Oregon, but 40 minutes before her flight to Oregon - the week of the championship, she received a phone call that handed her the shock of her life.
She had been withdrawn from the championship because of the "fear of failure" - an explanation she will later detail on her Instagram page.
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Without hesitation, shortly after the 2022 World Championships, Abba began the process of switching nationality back to competing in the American colours.
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17:06 - 13.04.2023
AFN's incompetence strikes again as another athlete dumps Nigeria for USA
Ezinna Abba has taken the Nigerian exit door after World Championships snub. The speedster is now eligible to compete for the USA.
With both athletes not making this year's US team, one wonders if they were hasty in their decisions or if it's still the best for their international career.
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18:33 - 08.07.2023
Nigeria's relay teams record impressive times in their quests for World Championships tickets
Nigeria's relay teams clocked impressive times in their pursuit of securing World Championships spots in Budapest.
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