Nigerian male javelin thrower, Chinecherem Nnamdi is disappointed that he could not win a gold medal at the ongoing World U-20 Athletics Championship in Nairobi, Kenya, but admitted he has to console himself with returning home with bronze.
He is, however, still full of lamentations in the wake of his feat that saw him become the first Nigerian athlete in 19 years to win a field event medal at the global youth track and field championships, since Esther Aghatise did so in women’s long jump in 2002.
Nnamdi became his nation’s first medalist in the field event since 2002 when he clinched bronze in the men’s javelin final with a distance of 72.63m, which was well below the 78.02m throw he got to qualify as the top athlete.
Megasportsarena.com reports that Nnamdi achieved his best throw two days earlier, yet managed to achieve a series of good distances, as he laid down the gauntlet to his competitors with an opening-round throw of 70.57m in the final on Friday.
He improved in the third round with a distance of 73.49m but Finland’s Janne Lasper surged into the lead with 76.46m and Nnamdi could only settle for 74.48m, which saw him stay third, while Ukraine’s Arthur Felfner nicked silver with a throw of 76.32m.
Nnamdi, who recently enrolled as a student at Baylor University in United States of America, confessed afterwards: “I feel a bit disappointed because I was really going for the gold here, but I will still take this medal and hope to build on the progress going forward.”
