162 quotes found
"I am pained that our female players are not matching up with their male counterparts in terms of standard and quality. When we started some years back, we were so disciplined and determined but these days, our players are not ready to work hard and maintain discipline. This is one of my priorities for now and that is why I will like to tutor them so that they can imbibe the characteristics that aided some of us to still be playing now."
"I always remember where I am coming from and the fact that for me to move up in life I have to be focused and steadfast. I am not a star, I just want to be the best."
"I represented my school at a competition and was honoured by the headmaster of the school, Mr G.O. Taiwo, who asked me to come out and said a lot of good things about me in front of my school mates. I decided on that day that I stood to gain everything from the game of table tennis, so I must remain focused to be counted among the best."
"He (my husband) is the reason why I am waxing stronger in the game because he did not ask me to replace my love for table tennis for him. He taught me how to multiply my love for table tennis and my family. I think my husband met me playing the game and l think the most important thing is love. He loves me so much and knows that l love table tennis so much. He has never for once, since we got married, attempted to stop me from playing the game. He appreciates what l do and would always be by my side when l am playing to give his support. I have a very good family and l am very proud of my family. Believe it or not, l don’t want to be in any other family than this and l thank God for that. I have a loving husband that can die for me and two wonderful boys that make me happy each passing day. I am happy and very satisfied."
"For the women, l think there are lots of up and coming players but the only thing they are lacking is exposure. They are a bit inexperienced such that they are doing it their own way. They need coaches that will guide them because the way they are playing here is not the same way they are playing abroad. There’s scientific approach to the game. We equally need better facilities. The tables we are using here are a bit slow to the ones that are used in international competitions. Our girls are coming up but they still have more to learn. Government must equally support the game."
"I was not happy that the ministry dropped the female team from going to the 2018 Commonwealth Games. I allowed it and some other factors to affect me in Kenya and I lost in the quarter-finals; I came fifth for the very first time."
"My most exciting time was when I won four gold medals for Nigeria at the 2003 All Africa Games with my child only six months old, and also winning the Africa championship in 2016."
"I won’t allow my kids to represent Nigeria of today. But if they want to, I won’t stop them."
"I was physically, sexually, emotionally and mentally abused. This man beat me for more than three years and I remember always going to UNILAG [University of Lagos] with a battered face but I still never gave up on TT, men or life."
"It doesn’t affect me in any way because what I’m doing right now is to enjoy myself, to play good table tennis, to see that I am motivating all the younger women that in any situation they can still be what they want to be. Even married, unmarried, with children whatever they are going through even with age they can still be what they want to be."
"I’ve been going through depression in my life and people don’t know this. They see me smile and play table tennis, but people can’t tell what I’m going through."
"I started playing table tennis on bricks, then I moved to anything that looked like tables."
"Nothing gives me more joy than seeing all the young, poor players happy with the little I gave them."
"Nobody can understand young female athletes more than female administrators and female coaches."
"I’ve been through racism, discrimination, violence and abuses from men. […] I’ve been through a lot in my life as a woman. I gave love but I was abandoned when I needed help – but all that I’ve been through made me better and stronger. I am a survivor!"
"Always carry yourself in high esteem. You can be who you want to be with determination, dedication and discipline. Never allow anybody to pull you down. The world is like a rollercoaster, never give up on your dream. Stay away from negative people and anything or anyone that’s telling you that you can’t make it because you’re a woman. Remember, you’re you and you’re unique."
"Table tennis gave me a better life."
"It wasn’t easy but I didn’t give up because it was fun being an athlete. If you ran very well, you could make the team and travel with the other athletes to other states. This was something I never dreamt of before. So, that gave me enough reason to keep giving my best as an athlete. I was encouraged by many people and coaches at that time too."
"That was my first big championships (1994 World Junior Championships) and the feeling was so strong. I was so proud and happy to represent Nigeria and wearing the green and white colours of the country."
"We must treat everybody the same way and athletes must come first too."
"My Mother is Still My Driving Force."
"I missed being at the World Championships and my city would have loved to see me run since I'm based in Germany. They missed me too in the relay team because our team did poorly in Berlin. I'm not saying I'm the best in Nigeria but if I was there and some of us that ran in the Olympics were there, we might have made an impact."
"I used to watch every competition on Skysports to see the times athletes are running and to see if the times aren't above what I can run. They ran well last year but nobody really ran fast among the Nigerian women, unlike in 2008 when I was running. That year Damola ran 11.08 seconds which was really very fast but the fastest last year was 11.16 seconds. It was good but what they were running in Europe, America and Jamaica was faster; they were giving us time to follow because Carmelita Jeter of the US ran 10.6 which was very fast. The Africans didn't do so well but at least we are following up."
"I don't know how it all happened but I was very disappointed and it's coming from athletes you never expected to do drugs. I feel for them but I know one or two things would have led them to do it. Sometimes it's not the athletes' fault but I'm not encouraging drugs. If they do it and they know it, then they should face the consequences. It's just a pity; a sprinter (Gloria Kemasuode) too is affected and she's good. We are all going to miss her. I really feel bad for them because I don't think they are under pressure."
"If you leave athletics, it leaves you. I was getting lazy because this is the build up period from September to December but so far so good, everything has been so good. I have a coach in Germany by the name of Frank Duka that prepares a programme for me. We have a coach in Nigeria that we use whenever we are around too."
"It's not so easy because it's just like when you are in school trying to read and pass your exams without lagging behind. Every year new people come out in athletics so I just have to train hard and see who comes out this year. I ran well in 2008 and I hope to do the same this year (2010). I know it's not going to be easy but I have to come back to it, to tell myself I can do it."
"Our administrators are killing the sport. We have to understand that you cannot reap from where you did not sow. I’m sorry to say this, we believe too much in fire-brigade approach. Sports is dying in Nigeria because our administrators are not doing what they are supposed to do. It was on during our time but it was better. It is that bad now."
"It is a great feeling, having a bronze medal before and now silver, I hope they will soon award the silver medals to us. Even when we came back with the bronze in 2008, we didn’t even get a handshake or a congratulatory message but thank God today that I can now be addressed as Olympics silver medalist. That is the joy of the whole thing but it would have been better if the silver medal had been awarded right on the podium"
"Every single year we (Bobsled and Skeleton Federation of Nigeria) have taken a group of 68 athletes and coaches to learn and develop the sport. Our goal is to try and compete in 2026. We are developing them along the way, every single year it is getting better and better."
"This sport (bobsled) is celebrating 100 years this year and we are only in our 5th year. it would interest you to see what we have been able to do in 5 years. this is due to our passion, dedication and willingness to be great."
"This sport (bobsled) has the biggest learning curve that I probably have ever experienced in my life. I’ve learned a couple things along the way, but this is totally new. Take a driver who just freshly got their license —16 years old...They know what to do behind the wheel. They have an idea. But then go throw them in Daytona. It might be a little bit different type of driving. That’s how I feel. It’s just straight survival mode the entire time."
"I don’t believe that one body and the other operate the same, particularly in sports. You can’t just give two different people the same workout and expect their bodies to respond the exact same way. They may respond similarly, but there are going to be things that will differentiate between their outcomes. If you can understand the fundamentals of why their bodies respond differently, then you could also be able to contribute to those specific differences, to make that individual athlete better."
"The ability to be selfless is what drives your ability to actually see clearly."
"In being selfless, you’re able to see a lot more sometimes than you really want to. Sometimes you just have to be able to tackle that fear, particularly that of the unknown. It’s always easier to just turn away and walk away from it, but if you just open up to it, you’ll really be able to see exactly what your purpose is."
"When you ride on faith, you’re able to live in that element of selflessness. You’re able to live in that moment of fearlessness. I don’t attribute any type of individual success to myself, but more so to God’s will to put me in places to allow things to flourish or opportunities to present themselves."
"This is a real-life example of what it means to represent African excellence and a true testament to the fact that impossible is nothing. This milestone is truly a blessing."
"Everyone should be held to the same standard of fairness no matter what country they are representing and which sport they play. We all give so much of ourselves every single day and sacrifice our lives to be the best we can be naturally - no one should be able to dilute this efforts or strip them away by cheating. In any country where there is doping scandal, the system and the culture that was in place for this type of behaviour to be acceptable should be broken down and re-educated to prevent innocent-hearted athletes from being punished in the future."
"After we qualified for the Olympics, there was this uproar within Nigeria, the Nigerian diaspora, and non-Nigerian people. People were really excited that there was a winter effort and something positive happening for Nigeria."
"Fear is really just another opportunity to learn."
"This is beyond a dream come true. To be able to bring something back to not only the country of Nigeria – which has so gracefully given me my family, my culture and everything I stand by – but also to the continent of Africa and the world."
"To bring a gift for people to know that resilience is something that you can actually live to achieve, and that the fear of the unknown doesn’t need to be something that limits your ability to thrive in life...Those qualities will be important for everybody to be able to take in."
"Don’t be afraid to take that risk. Impossible is nothing."
"You can sometimes stand in front of a door without knowing what’s on the other side and open it. You won’t know what’s on the other side until you open it."
"Being in an uncomfortable place isn’t bad [and] it isn’t wrong; it’s just different. Sometimes you need to be able to take that chance."
"Although we're American, we're also Nigerian. We're actually Nigerian first. That's the one culture that we know, that we were raised to respect and understand. To show people that it's okay to be both and it's okay to represent where you're from is a powerful message that, hopefully, we've been able to translate."
"You can’t coach someone to have passion, you can’t coach them to be dedicated, you can’t coach them to have heart and you can’t coach them to move with integrity or commitment and those are the things we are looking for."
"Running and jumping came to me naturally. It was while I took to athletics which was known as track and field then. I took part in basketball, badminton, table tennis, and a few other sports when I was growing up but it was athletics that I stuck to."
"I didn’t get much encouragement from home at all because they didn’t know too much about sports. My mum wasn’t that educated enough to know what sports is all about."
"Education was very important to me as an athlete back then. I took it seriously right from when I was in Nigeria and even when I got to the United States and ran for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the coaches were trying to make athletics the major priority. I made them know that I came to the US for my education while athletics is secondary. I made sure I got my degrees first. I know that with the education I have something to fall back on in the case of injury or retirement from the sport."
"My love for track and field made it fun and interesting for me to go to extra length to achieve the results I got. I would have won three gold medals at the 1978 African Games but I picked up a groin injury that forced me to pull out of the 100m hurdles. At the 1973 African Games, I competed in the high jump, 100m hurdle, and long jump and I clinched the gold medals in the three events. I was thrilled to win the gold medals as it was just fun for me then."
"The Commonwealth Games gold medal in 1974 in New Zealand in the long jump event was special. I was close to winning the gold in the hurdles too but I tripped towards it and ended up with a bronze medal."
"We were already at the 1976 Montreal, Olympics in Canada and waiting for the opening ceremony before we pulled out of the competition a day before it. Everybody was disappointed because of the hard work we had put in preparing for the Olympics for four years but it wasn’t the end of the world."
"My mum was a strong woman but she didn’t really understand what the sport is all about. She was there for me whenever she can and whatever she could do for me, she tried her best."
"They (Government of Nigeria) must catch the athletes when they are young. We started very young. They must encourage the athletes with good incentives to be able to compete."
"I will tell the athletes to work hard and not to let sports get into their heads. They must complement their endowed talents with education. It gives them something good to hold on to after their retirement. Also as an athlete, you need to be disciplined and make up your mind on what you want. You must determine what you want to do with your life."
"In my first marriage, my husband wasn’t really supportive of me being a coach. But I am stubborn; coaching is what I do and what I love, and so I went for it. One of the major reasons that marriage failed was because of my career. We were together for 12 years, but there was a lot of quarrelling going on, especially when I had to travel for competitions or when I had to go to the stadium to train my athletes. I wasn’t ready to give up my career as a coach, so I formally ended the marriage in October, 2021. When you hear that a lot of women had to quit coaching because of the lack of support of their spouses, that’s actually the truth."
"I go to where I am needed and I owe no one any apology for working for Rivers."
"Government has done everything so; it is left for us to pay back the kind gesture. We had good training, good facilities and good coaches. If any state deserves to win this festival, it should be Rivers."
"The number one reason many female coaches are not encouraged to stick with this career is the lack of support, and what I mean by support is about the Federation having your back. There are not many female coaches. There are about 10 of us in the country that I know of right now, but we are not being encouraged and supported. We need exposure. We can only get better when we are exposed, but we are not getting that from the Federation. A lot of the time you see a team consisting of four male coaches and one female coach, or none at all; where is the gender equity? These are some of the reasons women give up on coaching, because we are not getting the right support."
"We have prospects for the Rio Games. We are in camp right now and we are working hard. The athletes want to go to Rio and win medals and do the nation (Nigeria) proud. We are all working together to ensure that we go to Rio to win medals and do the nation proud. The athletes want to win because they know that there is something good awaiting them and they stand the chance of making good contacts thereafter. These are the future stars of Nigeria. This kind championship was used to discover the likes of Endurance Ojokolo, Blessing Okagbare, Obinna Metuh and many other stars. It is a step in the right direction and should be sustained."
"I am so disappointed in those people who said our athletes fumbled in Durban. In the first place, people should look at the circumstances our athletes travelled to Durban. About one week to the competition, athletes from other countries were already on ground in Durban, but our athletes did not even know whether they would make the trip or not. Some of our key athletes couldn’t make the trip due to one reason or the other. Coaches were also affected. I want Nigerians to celebrate the athletes. At this stage of our preparation for Rio Olympics, what they need is encouragement. We must not do things that will make the athletes remember the hard way they made the trip to Durban."
"Meet Endurance Ojokolo, one+ of finest female sprinters Nigeria has produced. In 2005 she got to the 4x100m final of the World Champs & 14yrs later, she's the coach of @Dushos to his debut."
"I’m excited about running at the African Masters Championships. And most definitely I will love to race against Ojokolo. Perhaps when the younger ones see us perform they will want to go and replicate it as they participate actively."
"My talent was first discovered at a school athletics day a year after I arrived Norway. We had different events such as sprint, long jump and high jump. I was the fastest girl, and the guys were afraid to run against me, so, I ended up running by myself, but with the best times of all children. The teachers encouraged me after that to take up athletics."
"In recent years, when I am running, it is mostly for the joy of it...to give God glory with my talent and to inspire other people. I don’t attach my accomplishments to any country or to anyone."
"You can be great today and be loved by everyone and the next day you are out in the cold. It is like you are working hard your whole life for a run of a couple of seconds and sometimes you might not get rewarded for it. So, one has to take nothing for granted because nothing is guaranteed in athletics."
"It would have been a great honour to represent Nigeria at some point, but the IAAF has made it very hard to switch allegiance. Now, the athlete has to wait at least two years to compete for another country in an international championships."
"Make the best out of my training, to improve everyday, and reach the potential that I feel inside me and haven’t shown yet. If I manage to do all that, the result will surely come."
"We believe that every girl in society, regardless of her ethnic background, should get equal chance in sports to have fun, develop her talents and enjoy being in an inclusive community. We believe that youth sports is the best tool for girls to develop self-motivation, resiliency and strong appreciation for their own health and well- being. To help young girls become the future ethical leaders and positive contributors for our society, we offer training and equipment for them free of charge twice a week."
"This silver is more precious than gold. In short, it is golden silver."
"Sometimes one needs to taste defeat to sit up. If you win all the times, you might be tempted to believe you have arrived. I learnt from that loss that no player is invincible."
"So, l've been learning chords and arpeggios. In music, just like in Electrical Engineering (my major), theory is one thing, but practical application is another. Applying my new knowledge made me realize I've been playing the keyboard the hard way . I applied what I've learned to a small segment of the chorus of this song, and it's much easier to play now. (Can you tell the line I'm talking about?) Keeping all of my fingers on the keyboard without accidentally pressing the wrong key is still a challenge. I'm looking forward to working with a live tutor soon. And mehn - recording can be exhausting. By the time I got the perfect camera spot, I was already dropping the idea. How do people do that thing?"
"I was not excited, because I came here to set a pv that is what is on my mind. But I still thank God because this is my first time coming to an international competition like this. For making it to be fifth I know next year or any world championship later, I'm going to work hard. So I'm going to better my time and I'm going to work better than this..."
"Great is your faithfulness oh Lord!! My Redeemer, my protector, my sustainer thank you for how far you've brought me and my home, Glory to God almighty!!!"
"Divine Aide Omo from Martial Arts can be identified as a 2w1. As a Type 2, Omo embodies the qualities of a helper and caregiver, driven by a desire to support and nurture those around her. She shows compassion, warmth, and a strong sense of empathy, often putting others' needs above her own. This selflessness is highlighted in her actions and motivations throughout the narrative, as she demonstrates an unwavering commitment to assisting her friends and allies."
"I am very excited because this is my first appearance in the Commonwealth Games. The time I returned didn’t really matter and all I wanted was to win, which I have been able to achieve. I feel good with the way I ended the season. I am surprised at winning the gold medal but it’s late in the season and anything can happen. I would say it was my best race, my best finish to a season."
"I am the only person to represent my country without a coach here. I am really proud of myself."
"it will be wrong for anyone to say we have reached our full potentials in sports."
"The quality of boxers at the Youth Games was “top notch”."
"I’m so happy that I have won."
"I would like to dedicate my gold medal to my husband who is my mentor and who supports me, and also to my country Nigeria."
"I have been competing in shot put for 22 years and what keeps me going is the morale and passion that I have for the sport."
"Gold medals from Mercy Genesis, Eucharia Njideka Iyiazi were the biggest highlights of the day as the Para Athletes also fought back hard to win bronze in their event categories."
"I don’t usually allow challenges to affect my performance, I have to look out for the positive side of everything."
"Anything is possible."
"We all know that we are representing the entire indigenous coaches at home because our doing well is a reflection of what the Nigerian coach can do."
"When we were given this task, we knew it was huge, we weren’t just representing ourselves."
"It wasn’t easy. People laughed. I was a civil servant, yet I coached both men’s and women’s teams. I was combining office work with football. But I believed in something bigger. God gave me the gift to read matches and analyze games even when I didn’t understand what that meant at the time."
"The dream was always alive - even when no one believed."
"We tried to simplify everything. Before training, we’d handle theory. In training, we executed."
"You are not just coaching footballers. You are shaping lives. These young women come with dreams, struggles, and emotions. We play the role of parents too."
"Discipline was non-negotiable, but we created an atmosphere where they could talk, trust, and grow."
"Some of the players have been with me since U17 and U20. We’ve built a relationship based on care, structure, and guidance. They ask for advice even outside football — it’s personal. That unity showed on the field."
"When you make players believe in what you’re doing, magic happens."
"Our long-term goal is to close the gap with the world’s best."
"We want more exposure, more capacity building for our coaches too. Let them go on attachments abroad, understand different football cultures. That’s how we grow."
"I’m just focused on delivering wherever I’m asked to serve. It’s not a do-or-die thing."
"Nigeria is for all of us. If there are ideas to make the team better, let’s listen. Let’s work together."
"Because of my involvement in football, I was seen as an unserious person by my family."
"But now it is the football man that is looked up to, to support the family."
"If you are offered a longer contract and the results don’t go your way, you could still be fired … So for me, it’s about getting down to work, doing the best we can and improving the standard of the team."
"But for us, as Africans, as Nigerians, we love expressing ourselves [on the pitch] …"
"When you defend and you regain possession, what do you do? You attack …"
"We must believe in ourselves. We must believe in our abilities."
"It’s about developing them holistically, because there is always life after football. If you don’t teach them certain values, they begin to misconstrue certain privileges for rights, because of the fame they have as players … We encourage them to go back to school, so that they have something to fall back on, when they retire."
"It is not an easy decision for us. We are human beings. These players are all our players; they belong to the country."
"I have no plans to shortchange anyone or take chances when it comes to selecting the best legs for each position."
"I am committed to keep doing my best whenever I am called upon."
"This move will definitely help my career grow as a person and as a versatile footballer passionate about the game."
"Me coming to Italy and playing for AS Roma is a very big, life-changing experience for me. It will help my career grow and also help me grow as a person and a footballer."
"My target is to help the team achieve their objective and plan for the season. My other target is to improve as a player."
"We need all the supports we can get. Women’s football is growing larger. The more people watch it, the more it keeps growing for sure, for women’s sports."
"Thank you for the support. Without them, we wouldn't have been able to make it. We hope they keep supporting us."
"Awards don’t always reflect reality, but the pitch never lies."
"Back then, women's football wasn't seen the way it is today. But I knew I was good."
"We're teaching the younger generation not to give up and to have a fighting spirit. Whatever you want, you gotta work hard for."
"Being able to inspire the younger generations means a lot to me."
"We need as much fans as we can get and we need support, so keep supporting, and we’re gonna get the trophy."
"We are back as the giant of Africa."
"Every coach has their style."
"I always try to give my best and adapt to whatever pattern the coaches bring. With the experience I have, I try to help the younger players settle and excel."
"Growing up in northern Nigeria is not that easy because they don’t believe that a girl child should play football. From my family, my parents were supportive, but my brothers didn’t want me to play. I was stubborn and didn’t listen."
"Sometimes I would sneak out to play with boys and they would beat me when I returned. Eventually, they gave up and started supporting me."
"I try to promote grassroots football in the North. I’m getting support from the state government, and it’s helping young girls who want to play professionally and pursue their dreams."
"I always try to mentor young players with the little knowledge I have. I talk to them during training and matches. I think they appreciate it—it’s up to them to use what I tell them."
"I grew up in the midst of men six boys and two girls, and all my play mates were boys, everything about my growing was with boys, always playing street football with them."
"For me it was tears of joy and also it was a feeling of me wanting this platform for so long, wanting this for so long and then the special person I wanted to be there was not there."
"In the quarterfinal, I didn't do my arrow celebration because that day was just for my dad. I just wanted to dedicate that day for him."
"Every day is for him too, but that day was just like, this one is special because I was just coming back from his funeral and I just wanted everything to be about him."
"This is why I say I love challenges, because when I see someone ahead of me, that is what I want, because then I tend to push myself to meet up and to pass."
"But when I see that I am the same as others, there is nobody chasing me to go ahead of whatever standard I am. So right now, I am doubling my work because I have teammates that push me."
"Personally, I love competition."
"I love to fight for something great, I love to compete because then when I win, I am so proud of myself."
"It takes a lot of determination to be at this level, and it takes a lot of self-belief because I always believe that I am a born champion."
"My dad was more than a father, he was my foundation, his sacrifices, his wisdom, his hard work shaped the kind of person I am today."
"I had no option because I knew that as a striker I should always be present in the box if my team mate is ahead of me because I need to create support options for them and be available."
"She does not speak English and I don't speak French, but somehow we communicate. We just understand each other. So we just brought that connection from outside the pitch onto the pitch because we are both forwards and we need each other."
"Sometimes we use Google Translate off the field, but it is not always correct."
"Playing in such a competitive environment helps you grow mentally and physically."
"Well, in my team we don’t play under any pressure. We play with peace of mind, and in unity knowing that we are leaving everything in the hands of God. That’s the believe of our coach and her teachings."
"If I’m not a footballer I would have been a professional barber because I once owned a haircut salon and was very good at it."
"I want to make a career progress by taking my football skills abroad."
"Football is a team sport, and our results come from hard work and dedication."
"I love my new role because I want my name to be synonymous with goal scoring in the elite women’s league."
"There's a lot of sacrifices made to continue staying at the top level for all this while."
"As you're growing older, you need to train more. It's even harder to stop yourself from eating certain foods"
"We Africans, especially, like to eat good food. But at some point, you have to make a lot of sacrifices"
"How long do you want to stay in the game? That's the question you need to answer for yourself"
"Good players around you help, and as time goes on, you get smarter. You find spaces where, maybe in the past, you wouldn't because you can smell it."
"It's all about you, focusing on your job and what you have to do"
"Everything has a good and bad side so, sometimes, try to understand where the criticism comes from - it can help you. We play football for the people, especially in our country and continent where we love the game so much."
"But, today, if somebody is frustrated they can just write anything (online). That's where we need to be strong and not pay attention to that sort of thing."
"With my experience, I just feel that you need to stay focused, listen to what the coaches and the analysts and the staff have to tell you. That's where the real information comes from"
"It's never too early, and it's never too late. Just keep going, and you can always be successful"
"I didn’t get a medal but at the same time, it’s still a great year for me, that means I still have a lot of potential to actually compete with these guys so it’s pretty amazing to come out here to compete"
"I’m Nigerian so there is nothing that actually surprises me anymore…coming out here doing my best, running a new PR [Personal Record] that’s something big for me"
"It’s a fair call. He put in a lot of work to get that medal, and if they are trying to rip that away, I don’t think that’s fair. He didn’t deliberately knock over the hurdle — that could happen to anyone"
"Everyone came out here to put in a lot of work, and that man deserves it. I’m also extremely proud of myself for being able to make it to the world finals"
"I’m always confident, but at the same time, I do not underrate my fellow competitors, because anyone could virtually run fast at any time"
"I just go in there, and I try to execute what I’ve learnt. I was fully ready for this race. I’m going to talk to my coach, and we’ll make the right adjustments"
"I’m also happy with the presence of my partner with me in Tokyo. She’s been supporting me all through the whole year. She was at the NCAA with me and in Nigeria"
"It’s really amazing to have her around, and after my race, it’s good to see someone I know looking at me and picking my odds"