Team Nigeria field athlete, Oyesade Olatoye has cast another look at her inability to get a medal in the women’s hammer throw at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, but refused to blame her missed target on torrential rain on the night of the competition.
Sports247 reports that, rather than pick an excuse from bad weather, which almost marred all evening events on Tuesday at EDF Scotstoun Stadium, in the West End of Glasgow, Olatoye admitted her inability to get a good throw, then spoke about many positives she gained from the competition.
The 29-year-old athlete, who was born in USA but switched allegiance in 2019 to feature for Nigeria, admitted she was disappointed not to get a single medal, having had seamless preparations, then projected for better days ahead, considering that she learnt many lessons at Glasgow 2026.
Olatoye who was born in Cleveland and attended Ohio State University, was African women’s hammer throw champion in 2022, a feat she believes she can still repeat and even surpass, as she now wants to take a holiday, reflect on her busy season and aim to bounce back better next time out.
“I think my preparation for this competition was really great. Honestly, it was just my rhythm that was off. Everyone is in the weather. So, I don’t like to use excuses. I just wasn’t able to get a throw out. I had two throws in the cage that felt pretty good.
“It’s a little disappointing, but I know it’s there and there’s more to come. I wish I was able to deliver the way I wanted to and the way I know I’m capable of, but I’m still proud of the effort and proud of my season. I’m just going to take a few weeks off for the off-season, then get back to work.
“I would have loved to finish with a medal because that’s always the goal, but I’m going to get some rest and reboot for next season. I think it’s motivation. Knowing that the top three were definitely within range of what I could do, it motivates me. I don’t hang my head. I’m proud of Nigeria.”
Sports247 recalls that Olatoye initially competed for USA at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, after which she switched allegiance to Nigeria in 2019, following which she she won two medals at the African Games in the same year.
The multi-talented athlete, who competes in hammer throw, discuss and shot put, also featured at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar as well as the 2024 Paris Olympics, but her only podium spots came during her first year with Team Nigeria at the African Games.
