XXII Commonwealth Games: Team Nigeria records best outing with 35 medals

Team Nigeria on Sunday, recorded their best ever outing at the ongoing edition of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 72 years.

At the international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth of Nations that is currently taking place in Birmingham, England; team Nigeria, sitting in the seventh position (though having the same number of gold as Scotland) has 12 gold, nine silver, and 14 bronze medals which makes it 35 medals

This feat for the country, erased their previous best performance at the Games in 1994 in Victoria when the country won 11 gold 13 silver, and 13 bronze in Victoria, Canada.

So far, the event for team Nigeria has been a remarkable and interesting one as the country’s athletes have not only gone the extra mile to achieve great feats but break records.

All eyes were however on Brume to deliver the country’s record-breaking medal in Birmingham in the long jump and she delivered to send fans at the stadium into wild celebrations Sunday night.

Ese Brume, through her efforts, break the Commonwealth Games record in the women’s long jump twice, putting herself in a commanding position for the gold medal after her fourth attempt gave her a new Games record of 6.99m.

It was not yet over with her when she broke the Games record a few minutes later to clinch Nigeria’s last gold of Day 10, with her last attempt, after a record-breaking leap of 7.00m.

Nigeria’s world record holder, Tobi Amusan also played a superb role for her country as she successfully claimed Nigeria’s 10th gold medal in Birmingham, after defending the 100m hurdles title she won in 2018 in Gold Coast, Australia to become the first Nigerian athlete in history to successfully defend a Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles title as she finished the final in 12.30secs.

It wasn’t the end for Nigeria as the medals increased when Nigerian quartet Amusan, Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma, and Grace Nwokocha in 42.10secs, surpassed the barely one-month-old 42.22secs African record they set in Oregon, the USA at the World Athletics Champions while competing at the sold-out Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.

In grand style, Amusan started the historic run with a brilliant first leg, before handing over to Ofili, who ensured Nigeria maintained the advantage, before giving Chukwuma the baton. The curve was perfectly completed by Chukwuma who handed over to reigning Nigerian 100m queen Nwokocha in the first position.

The 21-year-old maintained the advantage despite the threat from Great Britain’s anchor leg runner, Darly Neita, to bring home Team Nigeria’s first women’s 4x100m relay gold in their 11th attempt at the Commonwealth Games.

A notable contrast would be that unlike in 1994, the men dominated proceedings, winning nine out of the 11 gold medals at the global tournament, and winning 31 out of the total 37 medals, while the women won just six.

In this year’s edition, however, the women have grabbed all the headlines, and have rewritten the history books. And what better way to do that than to win the first gold medal of the tournament as Adijat Olarinoye set a new Commonwealths Games record to claim gold in weightlifting?

The female athletes have since then won all nine of Nigeria’s gold medals at the Games in Birmingham, and a total of 22 medals, while the male athletes have won just eight with the total tally at 30.

History was also made after the bronze medal win with efforts from the men’s team of Udodi Onwuzurike, Favour Ashe, Alaba Akintola, and Raymond Ekevwo, which is now the first by the men’s 4x100m relay team since 1982.

The 2022 Commonwealth Games started on 28 July and will end today 8 August 2022.