Adekoya pips Eid Naser to Asian Games glory, makes it even in head-to-head clashes

Six years after Salwa Eid Naser defeated Kemi Adekoya over the 400m at the Baku Islamic Solidarity Games, the latter had her pound of flesh on Saturday at the 19th Asian Games.

Adekoya, the 400m hurdles specialist who placed fourth in the event at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary in August, ran 50.66 to beat the 2019 World 400m champion, Eid Naser (50.92) to win the gold medal.

It was the second head-to-head meeting between the two Nigeria-born Bahrainians over the flat full lap race.

Running from lane eight, Adekoya managed to maintain the lead when going around the final bend.

Naser, seeking to retain her title, mounted a fightback in the closing metres only for Adekoya to hold on for the victory in 50.66sec.

Interestingly, both returned to track and field action after serving anti-doping rule violation bans

Five years ago, Adekoya secured both the women’s 400m hurdles and mixed 4x400m relay crowns at the Asian Games in Jakarta Palembang only to be found to have
tested positive for banned steroid stanozolol a year later.

The Athletics Integrity Unit stripped Adekoya of her two golds from Jakarta Palembang 2018 and handed down a four-year doping ban.

Adekoya returned to athletics in July – one month after Naser had made her comeback after completing a two-year suspension for whereabouts failures.