13th African Games: Gina Bass lays down marker as Nigerian trio zoom into 100m semis

The Gambia’s Gina Bass laid down the marker as the athlete to beat after running 11.35 seconds, the fastest qualifying time for Monday evening’s women’s 100m semifinal. The Gambian, semifinalist at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary is bidding to upgrade to gold after winning the silver medal behind Cote d’Ivoire’s Marie Jose Ta Lou five years ago at the 12th edition of the African Games in Rabat, Morocco.

The Nigerian trio of Olajide Olayinka, Blessing Ogundiran and Tiana Eyakpobeyan also stayed on course for a possible Nigerian clean sweep of the 100m medals by storming into the semis. Eyakpobeyan ran the fastest time (11.43) among the Nigerians with Olajide second (11.51) and reigning Nigeria champion, Ogundiran running 11.65 to also qualify.