Team Nigeria hunt for athletics medals

Team Nigeria is poised to vie for at least four medals in athletics on Tuesday at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, as the country's track and field athletes continue their pursuit of podium finishes.

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Ashe clocked 10.10 seconds (+1.5m/s) to win Heat One of the men’s 100m, comfortably finishing ahead of Kenya’s Meshack Babu, who posted 10.21s. The national champion eased off in the closing metres after opening up a decisive lead.

In the men's 100m, reigning national champion Favour Ashe advanced to the semi-finals, joined by Fakorede Adekalu and Nigerian record holder Kayinsola Ajayi. Ashe won his heat in 10.10 seconds, comfortably ahead of his competitors. In the women's 100m, African U-20 champion Miracle Ezechukwu also progressed to the semi-finals, clocking 11.32 seconds in her heat. She will be joined by Blessing Ogundiran and Rosemary Chukwuma, who qualified automatically.

On the field events, Sade Olatoye secured her spot in the women's hammer throw final after placing 10th in Group A with a throw of 62.75m. High jumper Temitope Adeshina is also set to compete in the women's high jump final, facing 11 other athletes. These competitions offer significant medal opportunities for Team Nigeria.

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Ezechukwu also marked her Commonwealth Games debut in style, showing remarkable composure from lane eight to win her women’s 100m heat in 11.32s (-1.5m/s). She finished ahead of Barbados’ Kishawna Niles (11.52s) and Ghana’s Deborah Acheampong (11.66s) to book her place in the semi-finals, where she will be joined by Ogundiran and Chukwuma.

Nigeria experienced a productive opening day in athletics, with numerous athletes delivering strong performances to advance. Ezechukwu, making her Commonwealth Games debut, showed composure from lane eight to win her heat, outpacing competitors from Barbados and Ghana. The team's success in athletics follows notable achievements in other disciplines, including para powerlifting.

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In the women’s hammer throw qualification, Olatoye placed 10th in Group A with a best throw of 62.75m, a performance that was enough to earn her a place in Tuesday’s final.