Uchenna Emedolu (left) with Commonwealth silver (© Getty Images)
Lagos, Nigeria A 27strong squad has been announced by Nigeria for next month's 9th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Paris, France (23-31 August 2003).
As reported by AFP, 15 men and 12 women athletes will compete in Paris, led by 27 year-old sprinter Deji Aliu, who was the World Junior 100m champion and silver medallist at 200m back in 1994.
In Abuja, Nigeria, last weekend at the national championships Aliu won in new personal best of 9.98 seconds (Wind reading not given). This time improves on his previous best of exactly 10.00, which he established this season when winning the Tsiklitiria IAAF Super Grand Prix in Trikala Greece on 24 June.
IAAF World Cup 100m winner Uchenna Emedolu took his thrid conceutive national title at 200m, and will also be in Paris. Last summer Emedolu, who used to reside in the UK but is now based in Italy, took silver medals at the 100m at the Commonwealth Games and the African Championships prior to his World Cup win in Madrid. 10.06 and 20.31 were his personal best in both sprints at the beginning of 2003.
The women's sprint squad for Paris is headed by 27 year-old African champion Endurance Ojokolo, who came out on top in the women's 100m. It was Ojokolo's fifth national title since 1997.
Bronze medallist in the women's 200m at the 1996 Olympics Mary Onyali who is now 35 years of age and has a season's best of 22.60 (PB 22.07 - 1996), outclassed her younger rivals to win the 200m in Abuja.
"A World Championships medal is the only medal missing in my
collection and so I'm very determined to win it this time in my third attempt," said Onyali, who plans to quit after the All-African Games here in Abuja in October.
RESULTS of Nigerian Championships, click here
IAAF and AFP
