Can Olajide lead another Nigerian clean sweep of 100m medals?

Can Olayinka Olajide, Blessing Ogundiran and Justina Eyakpobeyan become the fifth Nigerian trio to have a clean sweep of the 100m medals at the African
Games?

This will be the question agitating the minds of Nigerian and African athletics followers when the track and field event of the 13th African Games begins on
Monday in Accra, Ghana.

Nigeria has dominated the event since Jumoke Bodunrin struck gold at the inaugural edition of the Games in 1965 and the country’s sprinters have won eight
out of the 12 gold medals that were put on offer.

Nigeria also made a clean sweep of all available medals on four of the previous 12 editions.

Tina Iheagwam led the duo of Falilat Ogunkoya and Mary Onyali to clear all the medals in 1987; Onyali returned with Beatrice Utondu and Rufina Ubah to win
all available medals in 1991 before Onyali, yet again, returning with Christy Opara-Thompson and Mary Tombiri in 1995 to win the gold, silver and bronze
medals at the Games.

Oludamola Osayomi led a then new generation of Nigerian sprinters with Blessing Okagbare and Gloria Asumnu to make a clean sweep in 2011.

Olajide will looking forward to lead Ogundiran and Eyakpobeyan to make it five in 13 editions but they will have to overcome the major obstacle The Gambia’s
Gina Bass would present if she competes.

Bass, semifinalist at the World Athletics Championships last year and silver medalist behind Marie Jose Talou five years ago at the 12th edition of the Games
in Rabat, Morocco will prove quite a handful for the Nigerians.