Anything less than gold is typically seen as a consolation for any athlete. However, there are instances where achieving gold, silver, and bronze at a single championship becomes a remarkable feat. This was the case for Olayinka Olajide, one of the standout athletes in Nigerian athletics at the recently concluded 2023 African Games in Ghana.
Making her debut on the international stage for Nigeria, the 21-year-old athlete secured bronze in the women’s 100m and silver in the 200m events. She culminated her impressive performance with a gold medal in the women’s 4x100m relay, where she ran the second leg alongside Justina Eyakpobeyan, Moforehan Abinusawa, and Tobi Amusan.
Her journey commenced with a bronze medal in the women’s 100m final, marking Nigeria’s inaugural medal win in athletics at the Games.
Securing bronze proved to be her most challenging achievement as she narrowly edged out Madagascar’s Claudine Njarasoa at the finish line by a mere thousandth of a second. This victory marked a significant milestone, making her the first Nigerian woman in 13 years to claim a medal in the event at the African Games since Oludamola Osayomi, Blessing Okagbare, and Gloria Asumnu dominated the podium at the Maputo Games in 2011.
In the 200m final, she elevated her performance to clinch silver, recording a personal best time of 23.18 seconds (-2.6) to secure second place. Despite her close pursuit of gold in the 200m, Gambia’s Gina Bass managed to maintain her lead, crossing the finish line in 23.14 seconds.
Preceding the 200m final on Friday, she contributed as the second leg runner in the women’s 4x100m relay on Wednesday, thus completing her collection of medals at the Games with a well-deserved gold.
“I would say right now I’m giving myself a perfect score of 100/100 because in my first international competition, I’m leaving with gold, silver, and bronze. I’m not returning home empty-handed. My coach worked hard, and I executed the plan, so I’m thrilled with what I’ve achieved,” Olajide shared with Making of Champions.
“I feel incredibly blessed; that’s the best way to describe it. I believe hard work truly pays off because we dedicated a lot of effort to the 4x100m relay. Our training started in Abuja and continued here in Ghana. We were determined to get the job done, and we put in extra work on baton exchanges before the race, and it paid off.”
Reflecting on her individual races, Olajide faced tough competition from Bass, who outpaced her twice in the 100m and 200m finals. While she put up a stronger performance in the 200m, narrowly missing the first position by milliseconds, she faced a greater challenge in the 100m, finishing two places behind the Gambian athlete.
Acknowledging Bass’s skill and experience, Olajide praised her as a formidable athlete. “She’s truly exceptional, an outstanding athlete. Before the 200m race, my coaches prepared me, saying, ‘These competitors will challenge you, but make sure they earn it,’ and I ensured just that,” she commented.
Olajide’s journey to Accra commenced after her breakthrough at the MOC/MTN Champs athletics in Ibadan earlier this year. She earned her spot at the national trials held in February, where she clocked the fastest time by a Nigerian woman this year, clinching the women’s 100m title with a new personal best of 11.19 seconds.
Overflowing with excitement and gratitude, Olajide expressed, “I’m absolutely thrilled; it’s like butterflies in my stomach. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my coach. Now I see firsthand that hard work truly does yield results. There were moments when I felt like giving up because the training was intense and demanding, but I’m ecstatic now that I’ve witnessed the outcomes.”
Olajide is eagerly anticipating her second international appearance at the African Athletics Championships in Cameroon in June, with the Paris 2024 Olympic Games also on the horizon.
