http://makingofchampions.net/2014/08/13/nigeria-in-african-110m-hurdles-clean-sweep-as-akins-al-
ameen-ogierakhi-win-gold-silver-
bronze/
Nigeria’s 110m hurdlers made a
clean sweep of the medals in the
event on Wednesday night,
leaving their Algerian, South
African and Malian rivals trailing
in their wake on Day Four of
competition at the African Senior
Championships in Marrakech,
Morocco.
National champion, Tyron Akins
confirmed his status as the
athlete to beat as he claimed his
first African title in his debut
outing at the championships,
and only his second for Nigeria,
with 13.57s. This follows his
participation at the
Commonwealth games where he
just missed out on the Finals. He
came to Marrakech as No.3 on
the African list for 2014 but
upstaged the rest of the field to
clinch the title. The last time
Nigeria won the 110m hurdles
was in 1996 when national
record holder in the event,
William Erese mounted the
podium in Yaounde, Cameroun!
Another new Nigerian athlete,
Alex Al-Ameen, who was
Nigeria’s No.2 from the National
Trials, won silver in 13.78s. He
came to the championship as the
continent’s 2nd fastest athlete
this year, behind Algeria’s Lyes
Mokddel who competed in the
heats but didn’t show up for the
final. Al-Ameen competed in the
Commonwealth Games and put
up an impressive performance to
get to the final of the event
where he finished in seventh.
The only home-based athlete
amongst them and Nigeria’s
No.3, Martins Ogierakhi clocked
13.80s to secure the bronze
medal. Ogierakhi holds the top
position on the home front as he
won all legs of the Athletics
Federation of Nigeria (AFN)
Golden League and was one of
the winners of the much
anticipated N2million jackpot. He
is also the winner of the last
three editions for the National
Sports Festival in Nigeria, which
will be opened to foreign-based
Nigerians for the very first time
this year! He’ll have his hands full
this time around with Akins and
Al-Ameen in the mix!
Unfortunately, only Akins will fly
Nigeria’s flag at the forthcoming
IAAF Continental Cup, which
incidentally holds in Marrakech,
as only two athletes represent
the continent in each event, and
they cannot be from the same
country!
