Countdown to 2023 World Championships: Onyali and Ojokolo are Nigerians with most appearances!

Former Nigeria and African queen of the track, Mary Onyali and her immediate successor, Endurance Ojokolo hold the appearance record by Nigerians at the
World Championships as Team Nigeria set to make her 19th appearance in World Athletics’ flagship event.

Both have appeared at the championships six times, the most by any Nigerian in the history of the competition with Onyali making her debut in 1987 in Rome
Italy (1987 1991 1993 1995 2001 2003) while Ojokolo made her debut four editions later (1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007).

Onyali dominated the Nigerian and African scene in the 1990s and ran in six individual finals and three relay finals at the Championships with her fifth
place finish in the 100m and 200m events in 1993 her best while in the 4x100m, she led the Nigerian team to two fourth place finishes in 1991 and 2001.

She also ran in the 4x400m relay final and helped the quartet of herself, Fatima Yusuf, Airat Bakare and anchor leg runner, Charity Opara place fifth and set
a then 3:24.45 African record in 1991 in Tokyo.

The high point of her participation was the 10.97 Nigeria and Africa 100m record she set in 1993 at the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadion in Stuttgart, Germany.

It was also the first time a Nigerian and African sprinter will run a sub 11 seconds in the 100m.

Ojokolo on her part ran in three 4x100m finals with the team’s fourth place finish in Edmonton, Canada in 2001 her major achievement, helping the quartet of
herself, Chioma Ajunwa, Mercy Nku and Onyali run 42.52, the fastest a Nigerian team has ran in the history of the championships.