Olympics
Sprint and repechage rounds grab attention on day three in Paris
This Saturday, in the men’s 100m heats, world leader Kishane Thompson had time to look around and slow down before winning the opening race in 10.00.
Noah Lyles, seeking four golds in Paris, finished second in his heat in 10.04 as Britain’s Louie Hinchliffe, the NCAA champion who is coached by Carl Lewis, crossed first in 9.98 to a perplexed silence, cupping his hand ironically to his ear.
Jacobs, who has let it be known that he sees Thompson as the challenge to his title rather than Lyles, finished second in his heat in 10.05. Thompson’s teammate Oblique Seville won his heat in 9.99.
The aspirations of Hinchliffe’s team-mate Jeremiah Azu had ended before they begun after he was disqualified for false starting in his opening heat.
Among the athletes racing in the men’s 100m preliminary round, on a universality place, was Montenegro’s multi-eventer Darko Pesic, who came to wider notice as he competed barefoot in the discus during this year’s European Championships decathlon in Rome.
Pesic wanted to run in Paris in memory of his father, Velisa, who died in 2020. A few days before his race he broke a bone in his right foot and he arrived in the French capital wearing a protective boot. He achieved his ambition as he completed his race in 11.85, posting afterwards on Instagram: “Father – we made it! I have always dreamed of being an Olympian.”
While the decathlon was missing the home world record-holder Kevin Mayer, unable to compete because of injury, the men’s pole vault lacked the presence of France’s former world record-holder, Renaud Lavillenie, who was desperate to sign off with an appearance at the home Games aged 37 but missed out by one place at the national trials.
Lavillenie at least got his moment in the sun, literally, as he was introduced trackside before the men’s pole vault qualifying and received warm waves of appreciation.
Just as Mayer’s fellow French decathlete Gletty inherited the massive home support, so did the home athletes in the pole vault, Anthony Ammirati and Thibaut Collet.
But it proved not quite enough as both failed to progress in a competition where Sweden’s defending champion and world record-holder Mondo Duplantis topped the list of those who cleared 5.75m.
“Compared to Tokyo, it’s just night and day,” said Duplantis. “It’s super cool. I can’t even imagine how amazing the final’s going to be.”
World silver medallist Ernest John Obiena of Philippines, who had been hoping against hope that he would be sufficiently recovered from injury to compete in Paris, had his wish – and after passing after two failures at his initial height of 5.60m he recovered his fortunes with first-time clearances of 5.70 and 5.75m.
The repechage round, open to all who fail to earn automatic qualifying places in events ranging from 200m to 400m hurdles, offered progression to race winners and the two next fastest finishers overall in the women’s 800m.
The first athlete to qualify by this new method was Australia’s Abbey Caldwell in a heat where Uganda’s 2019 world champion Halimah Nakaayi, who had missed qualification by one place the previous day, finished sixth.
The din as home athlete Bourgoin overtook Allie Wilson of the United States around the final bend to claim the qualification place in heat two was ear-splitting, and she crossed the line as triumphantly as if she had won a medal. It was a very good advertisement for the repechage round.
“My feet hurt a bit but when I heard the stadium, I let the pain go and I had to keep going,” said Bourgoin. “You have a lot of emotions when people scream your name.”
Majtie Kolberg of Germany and Rose Mary Almanza of Cuba were the other winners, with Kenya’s Vivian Kiprotich and Switzerland’s Valentina Rosamilia claiming the next two fastest places.
By Kunle Solaja.
Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, will begin their campaign for a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games from the second round of the African qualifiers after being granted a bye in the opening stage.
The draw, conducted on Wednesday in Cairo by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), placed Nigeria among 29 higher-ranked teams exempted from the first round of the series.
The Super Falcons will take on the winner of the first-round clash between South Sudan and Comoros in their opening fixture of the qualifiers.
A total of 35 nations are competing for just two available slots allocated to Africa for the women’s football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, underlining the intensity and high stakes of the qualification process.
The qualifiers will be contested over five knockout rounds on a home-and-away basis, leaving little room for error as teams battle for continental representation on the global stage.
The first round involves the six lowest-ranked teams—Sudan, Mauritius, Djibouti, South Sudan, Madagascar and Comoros—based on the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings. Winners from this stage will advance to face each other again before the 29 seeded teams, including Nigeria, enter the fray.
Nigeria will be aiming to consolidate their status among Africa’s elite women’s football nations, having qualified for the most recent Olympic tournament alongside Zambia at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Although the Super Falcons boast a notable Olympic pedigree, having made their debut at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and subsequently appearing at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and Paris 2024, qualification has not always been easy.
The 16-year gap between their last two participations in Beijing 2008 and Paris 2024 illustrates the tough time they have endured in the qualifying series.
With the women’s football event at Los Angeles 2028 set to feature 16 teams—including hosts the United States—Nigeria’s path to qualification is expected to be demanding.
Attention will now shift to the preliminary encounter between South Sudan and Comoros, as Nigeria’s technical crew intensify preparations ahead of their second-round entry point.
For the Super Falcons, the mission is clear: successfully navigate a rigorous qualifying campaign and secure a return to the Olympic stage in 2028.
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Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, will on Wednesday discover their route to the football event of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles when the Confederation of African Football conducts the official draw in Cairo.
The draw ceremony, scheduled for April 29 at CAF headquarters in Egypt, will set in motion Africa’s qualifying campaign for the women’s football tournament of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
A total of 35 countries, including Nigeria, will participate in the race for just two tickets allocated to Africa for the Olympic football event, which will take place from July 11 to 29, 2028.
Alongside Nigeria, other contenders include continental heavyweights such as South Africa, Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco and Zambia, as well as a wide range of emerging nations from across the continent.
The full list of participating teams also features Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
According to CAF, the qualification series will be played over five rounds, gradually narrowing the field to the two teams that will fly Africa’s flag at the Olympics in the United States.
For Nigeria, Africa’s most successful women’s national team, the qualifiers present another opportunity to reaffirm their continental dominance and secure a return to the Olympic stage after recent mixed fortunes in global competitions.
The Super Falcons, nine-time African champions, are expected to be among the top seeds when the draw is conducted, a factor that could influence their early-round opponents.
Wednesday’s ceremony in Cairo will therefore provide clarity on the fixtures, timelines and potential hurdles facing Nigeria and other contenders as the road to Los Angeles officially begins.
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By Kunle Solaja.
Morocco’s senior women’s national team will on Wednesday learn their opponents and qualification pathway to the football event of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games when the Confederation of African Football stages the official draw in Cairo.
The draw, billed for April 29 at CAF headquarters in Egypt, marks the starting point of Africa’s qualifying campaign, with 35 nations set to battle for just two coveted Olympic slots.
For Morocco, the exercise represents another significant step in the country’s rapidly rising profile in women’s football. The Atlas Lionesses, who have emerged as one of Africa’s most improved sides in recent years, will be aiming to secure a historic qualification for the Olympic Games.
The North Africans will face stiff competition from traditional powerhouses such as Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroon and Ghana, alongside other ambitious sides including Zambia and Senegal.
Also in the race are Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
CAF confirmed that the qualifiers will unfold across five rounds, with the field gradually trimmed down until only two teams remain to represent Africa at the Olympics in the United States from July 11 to 29, 2028.
Morocco are expected to be among the seeded teams for the early rounds, a reflection of their recent performances on the continental stage, including their strong showing at recent Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
Wednesday’s draw in Cairo will therefore be crucial in determining Morocco’s early matchups and the potential obstacles on their path, as they seek to translate recent progress into a maiden appearance at the Olympic Games.
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