Chioma Ajunwa is special in so many ways. She hit gold when all eyes were far away from her. At 1.60 metres[5ft 3ins] she was the shortest of the 34 competitors yet she jumped 7.12m to glory. Africa’s first Olympic medal in the field event. Nigeria’s first gold.
There is something for History in the Long jump. The first time a Nigerian took part in the Games and got to the finals, it was in the Long Jump. Gboyega Adedoyin, an Ijebu Remo prince and medical student of the Queen’s University, Belfast, represented Great Britain at the London 1948 Olympics.
Nigeria was a British colony at the time. Adedoyin was unable to win a medal with his fifth position. However, Long Jump seemed to have taken deep roots in his country as more compatriots began to do well in it.
Kareem Olowu flew Nigeria’s flag at the 1950 Commonwealth Games. Nigeria fielded a team although independence was 10 years away. He was the country’s first national Long Jump champion in 1947, was unbeaten in 1948 and again in 1949. E.A. Towesho took over in 1950 and retained the first position in 1951.
At the Vancouver’54 Commonwealth Games, where Emma Ifeajuna bagged our first gold in the High Jump, the duo of Olowu and S.O. Williams won silver and bronze in the Long Jump.
Olowu tried his luck at the Melbourne ’56 Olympics and was only able to equal Adedoyin’s 1948 record, fifth position. At the Tokyo’64 Games, Wariboko West was so close to a medal but finished fourth.
Before Tokyo, a Nigerian found himself representing Ghana at the 1961 Triangular Games that involved Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Alex Okoli, a student of the University of Legon, was eyeing the Long Jump gold until injury failed him. He settled for bronze. His sisters, Edith[later Mrs Mojekwu] and Amelia[ later Mrs. Okpalaoka], did Nigeria proud.
When the First All Africa Games came in Brazzaville Congo, 1965, the first continental champion was Nigeria’s Eddie Akika. He was also good in the 110 metres Hurdles were he won silver.
The Second All Africa Games, Lagos’73, belonged to Modupe Oshikoya who won three gold medals, in the Long Jump, High Jump and 100 metres Hurdles respectively. She picked two more gold medals in Long Jump and High Jump at the Algiers’78 Games.
Oshikoya became the biggest name in Nigerian Long Jump in 1974 when she emerged as the first woman to win a gold medal in the Commonwealth Games. This she achieved in Christchurch, New Zealand. She debuted at the Olympics in Munich, two years earlier.
If there was one athlete who looked good for an Olympic Long Jump gold medal, it was Charlton Ehizuelen, national champion in 1972. By 1974, he was a student of the University of Illinois, United States and America knew there was a stiff challenge.
Ehizuelen shattered Jesse Owen’s 39 year-old record and in 1975, his jump was the best all over the world. This he repeated in 1976 and was only waiting for the Montreal ’76 Olympics to rule the world. His hopes were shattered by his country.
Nigeria joined other African countries to boycott the Games because of apartheid South Africa’s sporting ties with New Zealand. Just two days to the Opening Ceremony, captain of the team, Bruce Ijirigho, had to break the news to his mates. Also affected were the Green Eagles who looked good enough for Africa’s first Olympic Soccer medal.
Ehizuelen never recovered from that disappointment. In 1977, he represented Team Africa at the maiden Athletics World Cup, Dusseldorf ’ 77, finishing in the third position.
READ ALSO: Unai Emery is new Arsenal manager
Another heart break followed in 1978. After winning gold at Algiers’78, his country announced another boycott. The Commonwealth Games, Edmonton’78, missed Nigeria. It looked like Canada missed Ehizuelen, from Montreal to Edmonton.
The Long Jumper forged ahead and by 1981, could beat 1976 Olympic champion Arnie Robinson in the Long Beach, California International Track Meet. Ehizuelen belonged to the Maccabi Track Club at the time.
There were prominent Long Jumpers before Ajunwa. They included Oshikoya, African and Commonwealth champion. There were national champions like Felicia Ochonogor, Bella Belgam, Comfort Ige, Linda Omagbemi and Carol Nwajei. Ajunwa also had contemporaries like Beatrice Utondu, Felicia Amajali and Stella Emefesi. They were never anywhere near the Olympic podium.
There were also high flying men. Peter Esiri, John Okoro, Moses Akporowho, Paul Emordi, Joshua Kio, Yusuf Ali and Kayode Aladefa. Their best was not good enough for an Olympic medal.
Chioma Ajunwa played football for Nigeria at the inaugural FIFA Womens’ Championship in 1991. She was into boxing too. Just before the Barcelona ’92 Olympics, Ajunwa was the national 100metres champion. Then she was banned for drugs and missed the Games.
Her constituency, the Police stood by her. Former Eagles skipper, Segun Odegbami, took her in and training for the Olympics began late. Chioma did not even prepare for the Long Jump. She concentrated on the sprints. Sports minister, Jim Nwobodo, did not reckon with her.
The race is not for the swift. Out of the blues came Ajunwa. She conquered the great Jackie Joyner-Kersee . She jumped better than Fiona May. She won Olympic gold. Nigeria’s first. And after her we have seen Blessing Okagbare and Ese Brume, we are still waiting for another Long Jump gold.