Nigerian sprinter Consider Ekanem believes the experience he garnered at the just-concluded 2023 African Games in Ghana will propel him to perform better in subsequent events with the African Championships and Paris 2024 Olympic Games still to come in the year, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Consider competed in three events and won medals in two, winning gold with the 4x100m relay team and also took bronze in the men’s 200m. He missed the podium in the 100m after finishing fourth in the final.
“Running in three events at the games shows that I can do better and prepare well for the African Championships and Olympics. I have learnt a lot from all the athletes, not only Nigerians, and especially the overseas-based athletes,” Consider said via Making of Champions.
Having first missed out on the podium in the 100m, Consider made up for it in the 200m, winning a bronze and noted he wanted gold.
“I was not really happy because I was not expecting bronze medal but it’s my first experience at the African Games and I just have to thank God still. I was expecting gold because of the time I had been running, workout and what I did in training,”
With gold in the relay, Consider added that he was fulfilled in the team event and would work more to improve his chances in individual events.
“The 4x100m gold was amazing. It was a great one for the team. Each of us put in everything and that means personally, we can also improve.”
To qualify for the Olympics, which holds from July 26 to August 11, Consider and other men’s 100m hopefuls must meet the entry standard of 10.00s.
Earlier this year, Consider ran 10.10s (+0.9) in the 100m at the inaugural Dynamic Outdoor Meet held January 27 at the Nigerian Navy Sports Centre, Ojo, Lagos which was the world lead until it was bettered by The Netherland’s Taymir Burnet, who ran 10.09s (+1.9) February 14.
He is currently sixth among the best times posted in the 100m this year, as Japan’s Hakim Sani-Brown holds the lead with a time of 10.02s (+0.5), which he ran on Monday.
I Wanted 200m Gold Not Bronze – Consider
