African Games Trial: Consider runs fastest 200m time on Nigerian soil in 21 years

Consider Emmanuel Ekanem rose from the disappointment of getting disqualified in the 100m final to run another incredible race in the 200m event Sunday at the
Athletics Federation of Nigerian African Games trial at the Stephen Keshi stadium in Asaba, Delta state.

Coached by Seun Ogunkoya, a former Nigeria and African 100m king and record holder, Consider had raised hopes of a sub-10.10 seconds performance in the 100m
after storming home in 10.16 seconds in his semifinal heat.

He however false started in the final and when many were wondering what could have been, the 19 year old rolled out another scorching runin the half lap,
storming the clock at 20.43 seconds.

It is the fastest time by a Nigerian so far this year, the seventh fastest in the world and the fastest ever run by a Nigerian on Nigeria soil since 2003
when Uchenna Emedolu ran 20.38 in October 2003 to place second behind Namibia’s Frankie Fredericks (20.33) in one of the 200m semifinals at the African Games
in Abuja.

Davidson Ezinwa holds the record of the fastest 200m time in Nigeria with the 20.30 seconds he ran at the 1990 Commonwealth Games trial in Bauchi.

Consider has also overtaken his coach in the Nigerian all-time list with his incredible performance. Ogunkoya holds a lifetime best of 20.50 in the event.

The 19 year old is growing to become of the greatest sprinters in Nigerian who have shown world class sprinting in both the 100m and 200m events like Davidson Ezinwa, Olapade Adeniken, Francis Obikwelu, Divine Oduduru and Udodi Onwuzurike.