Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Adegoke And Amusan Break Record Qualify For Finals

Nigeria’s Enoch Adegoke and Tobi Amusan have both broken Nigeria’s national records in athletics and at the Olympics.

Enoch during the 100m Semi-final heat race at Tokyo 2020, broke a 25-year record and became Nigeria’s first 100m Olympic finalist since 1996 to clock 10.00s in heat 2 of the men’s 100m semis, in which he came second behind Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes. With this, he broke a 25-year record after Davidson Ezinwa at Atlanta in 1996.
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On her part, Amusan wins her first semi-final in 12.62s to become the first Nigerian since Glory Alozie at Sydney 2000 to qualify for the 100m Hurdles final at the Olympics. She broke Nigeria’s 21-year-old record.
The men’s 100m semis was a tight race that ended in a photo-finish, with Adegoke ending up in second place in 10.00secs, the same time as American T. Brommell, with Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes, who clocked 9.98secs, in the first place.
Compatriot Usheoritse Itsekiri crashed out in the semi-finals of the men’s 100m after he finished seventh in his heat in 10.29secs.
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Adegoke’s 10.00secs is the slowest among the eight athletes who qualified for the final, and the Nigerian, who clocked 9.98secs on the way to the semis, will be hoping to be in the form of his life to end up on the podium.
In the women’s 100m hurdles event, Amusan clocked 12.62s to book a place in the final, which comes up on Monday.

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Photo Credit: Getty