Nigerians fail in Helsinki

NIGERIA’S Olusoji Fasuba and Uche Emedolu, failed to re-invent themselves at the Helsinki Grand Prix Monday night in what apparently was their first international race since the NNPC Exxon-Mobil Championships in the Nigerian capital, Abuja July 7 - 9.

Fasuba ranked 12th (July 12, 2005 release of the IAAF World Rankings) simply couldn’t catch up with the pace of Trinidadian Marc Burns (ranked 16th) as he finished a disappointing 4th in a slow 10.21secs.

More disappointing was compatriot Emedolu who could only manage a 7th position in 10.32secs. Emedolu, winner of the Abuja race is expected to lead the Nigerian team to Helsinki for the August 6 - 14 10th IAAF World Championships in Athletics.

Despite the slow race though, track and field watchers in Nigeria believe the Nigerians all have a chance in the summer big meet in the Finish capital. "We certainly can’t write them off at this stage. At this time, everyone is taking his chance and for these duo, they are only testing the ground to see their level of fitness and not necessarily as a race to win," Isaac Humphrey, a track and field coach told nigeriasports.com in Lagos Monday.

Miebi Senge, a track and field correspondent of Lagos based Vanguard newspapers told nigeriasports.com "this was certainly a warm up to the World’s. But it also goes to show the Nigerians have a lot of work at hand before the real Helsinki meet."

"It is a good thing the concentration this time around is not as much on size of team, but results. As such we would have expected them to field the relay teams in these Grand Prix meets which unfortunately, our administrators have failed to capitalised on as usual," Senge said.

Burns won the Helsinki Grand Prix in 10.11secs.

By Jo Benson