The unceremonious withdrawal of USA-based sprinter, Blesding Ogundiran from this year’s Commonwealth Games’ women’s 100m semi-finals on Tuesday, due to illness, resurrected sad memories of previous setbacks she has faced in her career.
Sports247 reports that Tuesday’s setback was in stark contrast with the ecstasy Ogundiran had after reclaiming the national title in Lagos, to put an end to a series of personal challenges she went through over a period of three years.
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As it were, many close associates and colleagues of the dark-skinned athlete felt happy for her when she stormed back from the long absence to win the Nigerian trials at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos with 11.12 seconds, which gave her a spot in the contingent to Glasgow 2026.
Incidentally, she also faced another round of obstacles while heading to Lagos for the national trials, as what would have been a flight of seven hours ended up turning into a torrid four-day trip due to torrential storms in the US, but the 26-year-old athlete was determined not to let another hurdle stop her.
However, for the Werner University of Florida sprinter, whose victory at the national trials was regarded as more than finishing first in the women’s 100m and getting a slot to Glasgow 2026, she was on Tuesday hit with yet another setback, three years after her maiden conquest of the Nigerian tracks in Benin City.
After regaining top spot on the national front, Ogundiran reflected on the difficult days gone by and declared how happy she was that all the sacrifices she endured were justified with her victory at YabaTech, only to see her excitment and enthusiasm washed away by a sudden bout of illness on Tuesday.
The exuberrant lass, who grew up in Oshodi area of Lagos, will now hope to recover fast for the relays or return early to her base in the US, and pick up the pieces once again, buoyed with memories of how she returned to the spotlight in April, when she set a new school record of 11.21s at Warner University.
That feat came with the double honour of an NAIA 100 metres record at the Embry-Riddle Classic, a week before she also ran a new record and personal best time of 10.98s in the women’s 100m of South Florida Invitational, where she became the ninth Nigerian female sprinter to break the 11-second barrier.
Sports47 reports further that Ogundiran’s setback came a day after Israel Okon was forced to withdraw due to injury, which knocked him out of the men’s 100m, 200m and the men’s 4x100m relay.
The usually exuberant Okon, who earlier described 2026 as a breakthrough season for him, having broken the 10-second barrier in 100m and ran under 20 seconds in the 200m for the first time in his career, will now have to be replaced in Nigeria’s adjusted plans for the relays.
