2023 World Athletics Championships: Eyakpobeyan and Ogunlewe are Team Nigeria youngest and oldest competitors

Sprinters Justina Eyakpobeyan and Seye Ogunlewe are the youngest and oldest competitors respectively Nigeria will be parading when the 19th World Athletics
Championships begin next weekend in Budapest, Hungary.

World Athletics released the entry list for the championships on Thursday and Eyakpobeyan who won a 100m and 200m silver at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games
in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago earlier in the week is the only U17 athlete in Team Nigeria’s list.

Eyakpobeyan won’t be 17 until next month and will be aiming to be the youngest Nigeria will parade in the women’s 4x100m event in the history of the
championships if she is selected by coaches Gabriel Okon and Endurance Ojokolo to run.

Interestingly, if Eyakpobeyan fails to get the nod, reigning African U18 and Commonwealth Youth Games double sprint champion, Faith Okwose, at 17 years and
three months and who definitely looks good to be selected, will be Nigeria’s youngest women’s 4x100m competitor in the history of the Championships

Ogunlewe is also going to Budapest as Nigeria’s oldest at 31 years and 11 months. He will be 32 on August 30.

While Eyakpobeyan is also the youngest woman in the team, quaetermiler Patience Okon George is the oldest and 31 years and nine months. She will be 32 in
November.

For the men, 400m barrier runner, Ezekiel Nathaniel is the youngest at 20 years and two months, just eight days older than sprinter, Adekalu Fakorede who will be competing in the men’s 4x100m event.