July 02, (THEWILL) – Nigerian track stars, Usheoritse Itsekiri, Sade Olatoye, and Edose Ibadin, are set to participate at the Edmonton Invitational in Canada, marking the first time this year that these three athletes from Nigeria will compete together.
While Itsekiri has been the only Nigerian athlete based in Canada and regularly competing there, this meet will see the addition of Ibadin and Olatoye. Itsekiri, who has been making a name for himself since moving to North America over a year ago, aims to extend his unbeaten streak and achieve the World Championships qualifying standard of 10.00s in the 100m event.
With impressive performances this season, including a Season’s Best time of 10.02s, Itsekiri will look to continue his form and make his mark at the Edmonton Invitational. Now, alongside him will be Ibadin, who is also determined to secure a spot at the World Championships in Budapest. The Nigerian 800m record holder, who returned to competition this season after a break, has been consistently improving his performances. Ibadin will be aiming to surpass his Season’s Best of 1:45.49 and 1:44.81 to meet the automatic qualifying standard of 1:44.70 for Budapest.
The recent progress Ibadin had made shows he is eager to seize this opportunity and make a strong case for his inclusion in the prestigious event. In addition to Itsekiri and Ibadin, Olatoye, the Nigerian champion in women’s hammer throw, will also be present at the Edmonton Invitational. Olatoye has been in excellent form this season, consistently throwing over the 69m mark in her events.
Her ultimate goal is to surpass the 70m mark for the first time in her career, which would greatly enhance her chances of securing a spot in the world ranking and earning a ticket to Budapest. Alongside Itsekiri and Ibadin, Olatoye will have another opportunity to improve her performances at the Nigerian trials, further strengthening her chances of success this season.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
